


Aftercare

by CKSalamander, RealTerminal



Category: RWBY
Genre: Abuse, Aftercare, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, BDSM, College, Comfort, Dom/sub, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Light Dom/sub, Love, Past Abuse, Rare Pairings, Recovery, Summer is alive, Teaching, Trauma, faunus, nightclubs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-04-22 05:39:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14301972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CKSalamander/pseuds/CKSalamander, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealTerminal/pseuds/RealTerminal
Summary: Weiss loved her. Weiss adored her. Weiss did anything and everything she asked. She thought she had everything she wanted, until she's introduced to a harsh reality.-[Currently on Hiatus, but will be back soon! :D]-





	1. Pet

**Author's Note:**

> So this started as one of those chat-fics, but then we started talking about more ideas, and eventually we had some sort of story.
> 
> Hope you enjoy, but do keep in mind, this is my first actual fic, even though I had plenty of help.
> 
> One more thing, the first 3 chapters are a little rough, so bear with me.

Being a Saturday afternoon in the middle of the summer break, the halls of the Beacon University dormitory were as empty as ever. Most people that didn't go home for the break were out having fun, but in one of the second floor common rooms, there were four girls sitting around, three of them teasing the other about her underwear choice.

"My underwear is not _boring_!" Pyrrha whined. "It's part of Mistrali-"

"Yeah yeah yeah we know!" Yang interrupted. " _It's part of Mistrali culture to usually not wear underwear_! But Pyr, the last time I checked all you had was white and tan." She managed before bursting into laughter.

"When were you looking at my _underwear_??" Pyrrha questioned, cheeks tinting pink, causing Yang to stop laughing.

"Oh here and there. Not important." Yang deflected with a smirk.

"What of course it is! Yang did you go through my underwear drawer?!" Pyrrha pressed as she looked at Yang, blushing intensely at the cheshire grin before her.

Weiss sighed. "Ignoring Yang's lack of respect, she is correct, you do need an upgrade in your wardrobe, specifically in the lingerie department." An unusually quiet Ruby suddenly seeming interested, peeking over her comic.

"I... I don't..." Pyrrha stammered.

"Yeah! Let's go get you some sexy underwear! To impress a _certain someone_..." Yang teased as she leaned over to nudge Pyrrha.

Pyrrha tried to look away, continuing to blush wildly. " _There's no someone_..."

Yang wrapped an arm around Pyrrha, who tried to squirm away. "Oh come on! We all know you've got the hots for Ren!". Which caused the redhead to stiffen in her seat.

"Ren is a dear friend... and Nora loved him first..." Pyrrha mumbled, gaze dropping to the floor.

"So you're admitting it?" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I... uh... it's just a... little crush..." Pyrrha murmured.

"Oh sure, that's why you stare at him _constantly_." Yang pointed out.

"And you studied his religion to _understand him on a deeper level_." Weiss added with air quotes.

"And I think I've heard you moan is name before!" Ruby burst, to which Pyrrha's cheeks heated up once again.

"Ruby!"

An uncomfortable silence settled before Yang spoke up. "I've heard it too."

"Can we _please_ just talk about something else??" Pyrrha begged.

Weiss rolled her eyes before flinching as her phone vibrated with a very familiar tone.

"Oh! That reminds me! You don't need to worry Pyrrha! Ren and Nora never went out!" Ruby beamed. "Besides, Nora's with Blake's friend! Uh... shoot Yang what's her name?"

Yang laughed. "It's Neon, Rubes. And Pyr, I'm sure he's got eyes for you too! I mean, who wouldn't?" She cooed with a wink, causing Pyrrha to blush again.

As quietly as she could, Weiss slowly rose from her seat, attempting to sneak away. Unfortunately, her action did not go unnoticed. "Where ya going Weissy? Gonna go try to _get some_?" Yang wondered with a sly grin.

"Of course not." Weiss denied. "I'm simply going to go study."

"Seriously?" Ruby scoffed. "We're on holiday Weiss, lighten up!"

"I have been, but now it's time to start preparing for the next term." Weiss defended.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Fine then miss _I'm gonna go study_ , we'll make sure not to disturb your _studying_." She mocked, miming air quotes.

Refusing to dignify Yang with a response, Weiss huffed, turning on her heal and walking away.

"Man, it makes ya wonder girls, when is she gonna get laid?" Yang joked.

 

* * *

 

Blake chuckled breathlessly at the sight before her, beautiful in ways many would never understand nor know. Her efforts always left them satisfied, but this time it was even more special, a spur of the moment idea made manifest, it deserved to be shared.

Blake shuddered, pulling her phone free. "This one is going to everyone." She purred, opening the photo app and snapping a picture. "I wonder what they'll think of you now."

 

* * *

 

As the sunshine dulled through curtains, Ilia awoke to an empty bed.

Stretching, she pulled herself up and sleepily made her way out of the room, only to be struck by a delicious scent. The scent of her mistress making lunch, stir fry from the smell and sound. Her favourite.

Approaching the kitchen, she was met with the a beautiful visage tending to the stove.

"Good afternoon mistress." Ilia greeted with a smile, hands clasped submissively behind her.

Feline ears twitched, and she was met with the gentle smile of her beloved. "Good afternoon my sweet." Kali Belladonna greeted. Leaving the sizzling wok to meet her in a loving kiss, Ilia shuddered as she broke away, almost chasing after the sweetness of her lips. "Todays lunch is your third reward." Kali purred, planting another kiss on Ilia's cheek before gently pushing her back, returning to her efforts. A familiar heat ignited in her stomach as the prior nights activities flashed in her minds eye. She had worked hard to serve, she always worked hard to serve. Her mistress deserved no less.

Leaving the kitchen, Ilia settled onto the couch, turning on the television and flicking through the channels. She heard her phone go off, vibrating on the coffee table, surprising Ilia. Wasn't her phone in the bedroom? She picked it up to find a message notification from Blake, at first she was excited, her best friend messaging her on this wonderful day, but then she opened the message, and was left stunned by the image before her.

A mixture of feelings ran through her mind, jumbling and fighting for dominance, before resignation reigned supreme.

She couldn't hide her worries anymore, she needed to tell Kali.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a little short, but this was more of a "test chapter" so to speak. To see what the response is and all that.
> 
> Speaking of, I want to know what you think of it. Comments and reviews are more than welcome!
> 
> Anyways, welcome to a story full of hurt, comfort, and recovery.


	2. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kali and Ilia have a much needed talk.

Awkward did not even _begin_ to describe the situation Ilia found herself in. Her and Kali were in the kitchen, the pair having previously finished their lunch. Ilia had also just finished confessing to her everything she knew Blake had done. Now her mistress sat at the table in silence while Ilia attempted to busy herself with the dishes. She waited for her mistress to say something, _anything_. Was she angry? Was she upset? Was she disturbed? Was she _disappointed_? Ilia was turned away, afraid to meet her mistress' gaze out of guilt. After almost half an hour, Kali finally broke the silence.

"How long has this been going on?"

Ilia hesitated, fearing the reaction to her response. "Three months..."

Her mistress just sighed. "Oh dear..." Looking back to the girl's phone, she scrolled again through the various texts and photos Blake had sent. "That poor girl..."

Putting down the dish and washcloth, Ilia lowered her head. "I'm so sorry mistress..."

Concerned by Ilia's demeaner, the raven-haired woman's gaze turned soft. Slowly standing, she approached her partner from behind, making the girl tense up. Loving arms wrapped around Ilia as Kali whispered in her ear. "Sweetheart... you don't need to apologize. I understand how you might believe this is you're fault. Keeping this bottled up for so long. I want you to know it's not. I know the experience of discovering something as serious as this and not knowing what to do."

Ilia raised her head, tears starting to form in her eyes. "You do?"

Kali reached around, gently grabbing her partner's hand, and leading her back to the kitchen table. Sitting down, she pulled the girl closer until she instinctively sat in her lap. "I do." Releasing Ilia's hand, the older woman wrapped her arms around her waist. "When I was your age, social drama was almost the center of my life. Sex scandals, addictions, broken friendships and relationships..." Her hand slowly reaching up to touch one of her feline ears, she sighed. " _Racism_..." Refocusing, she wrapped her arm back around her partner. "And most important to this situation, _keeping secrets_. I understand keeping secrets from the ones you love, being so overwhelmed by conflicting feelings, like it's eating you from the inside. I know how hard it must have been to keep that to yourself, and as much as I would have preferred to hear this from Blake herself... thank you for telling me Ilia."

"You're not... angry with me...?" Ilia stammered.

Kali reached up and cupped the girl's cheek. "Of course not my love. Admitting something like that takes a lot of strength, and is no reason to be punished."

Ila sniffled. "Thank you mistress..."

"Now, my _daughter_ on the other hand..." Ilia stiffened at the word. "I believe it is time I have a word with her about her... _relations_."

"Of course."

"Would you be a dear and go get my scroll?" Kali inquired "I'm going to give Blake a call."

"Yes mistress!" Ilia hastly answered as she hopped off her mistress' lap and rushed into the bedroom to retrieve her scroll.

 

* * *

 

The first time her daughter didn't answer, Kali attributed it to her not catching it in time. The _fourth_ time she didn't answer, Kali started to get worried. But the fifth time, when it rang a few times _then_ went to voicemail, that worry became irritation.

The feline Faunus sat on the living room couch, a stern look on her face as she was repeatedly hung up on by her daughter. Eventually it stopped ringing altogether and it started going straight to voicemail.

"She must have turned off her phone." Kali huffed. "Ilia."

The younger Faunus flinched at the serious tone of her mistress' voice. "Yes mistress?"

Putting her scroll down, she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Did you try contacting her as well?"

"Yes..." The girl's gaze falling to the floor. "With... no answer..."

The older Faunus sighed. "What do you suppose we do now then?"

Still staring at the floor, Ilia mumbled. "We could... go to the university..."

"What was that Ilia? Please speak clearly."

"I'm sorry mistress!" She snapped to attention. "We could... go to the university... confront her where she can't run away..."

Kali pondered over it for a moment, then smiled. "What a wonderful idea! Sometimes I wonder what I'd ever do without you!" She praised, making Ilia blush all over her body.

"You're too kind mistress..." Ilia thanked.

"Not at all my darling." She grinned, but her expression fell. "I know I should tell you this more... but you helped me out of one of the toughest times in my life. You know how... dark of a place I was in after the divorce... and I truly believe that if it was not for you, I would still be there. Ilia... I don't think any amount of kindness can ever repay what you've done for me."

"Kali..." The younger Faunus started, tears welling in her eyes as she got up from her chair to join her older partner on the couch. Ilia took Kali's hands in her own and continued. "You don't need to repay me for _anything_. You do _plenty_ for me every day. Even before we were a couple you did _plenty_ for me. I love you, and the only thing I ever want from you is you."

As hard as she tried, Kali failed to hold back her own tears. "Ilia... I... I don't know what I'd do without you..." Bringing her hands up to cup her lover's face, she brought her into a tender kiss. It was short lived, Ilia nearly chasing after her lips as she pulled away, but they had something more important to focus on. "Get dressed, we have a long drive ahead of us."

Giving her mistress a quick peck on the cheek, Ilia stood up and headed back to the bedroom. "I'll be right back."

 

* * *

 

Ilia tried to focus on the cars white noise, it helped distract from what was to come, the anxiety it brought, the guilt weighing down upon her. She never wanted to betray her closest friend, but lines were crossed, and Ilia could bear it no longer. She looked up at her mistress, the serious expression doing little to lessen Ilia's anxiety. Golden eyes flickered to her own, tinged with concern.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Kali wondered.

"I don't know... I just..." The younger Faunus sighed. "I know I'm doing the right thing... but I still feel guilty about it..."

The raven-haired woman reached over to grasp her lover's hand. "Ilia there is nothing you should feel guilty about. You said it yourself, Blake is downright abusing that girl! If anyone should be feeling guilty it should be my _daughter_."

"Um..." Ilia squeezed her partner's hand tighter. "Speaking of Blake... do you think we'll be able to keep this from her...?"

Kali signed, her expression falling. "Yes... as long as we keep our interactions clearly platonic, as we usually do."

"Thank you..." Ilia mumbled. "I love you. I just... like to keep these sorts of things to myself... As for Blake... I would usually tell her about stuff like this, but it felt weird telling her I was dating her mother... and I never worked up the courage to tell her... I'm just afraid. Blake will already be angry at me for telling you this...but if she knew we were together?"

"It would only hurt more, I understand..." The older Faunus sighed.

"Yes... I just don't want to strain our relationship further..."

"Don't worry dear, I know you're not ready." Kali reasurred. "And when you are, I will be there by your side, as I always will be."

"Thank you mistress..." Ilia sniffled.

Golden eyes met hers as her mistress smiled. "I know, and I love you too my little rainbow."

 

* * *

 

After a few hours on the road, the pair finally made it to the university. Finding a parking spot at the dormitory, Kali roused her sleeping partner.

"Are... are we there?" Ilia mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"We are." Her partner gently answered. Putting her hand on Ilia's thigh, steel-blue eyes met hers. "Are you ready?"

Taking a shaky breath, the girl put her own hand over Kali's. "As I'll ever be."

The two women exited the car, heading for the dormitory. Ilia led her mistress towards Blake's single room. As the pair neared their destination, the younger Faunus slowed to a stop.

Kali turned to see that her partner had stopped. "Sweetheart... are you alright?" She asked, voice full of concern.

"Yes... I just..." She took a deep breath. "I just need a moment."

The older woman walked back over and opened her arms, to which Ilia happily met her in a gentle hug. "We're doing the right thing Ilia..." Kali purred as she stroked her lover's hair.

"I know..." Ilia murmured as she hugged her mistress tighter. "Thank you..."

The two parted and continued walking down the hallway. Finally reaching their destination, Ilia looked over at the metal plate next the door:

**315**  
**Blake Belladonna**

Feeling her heart starting to beat faster, Ilia took another deep breath. She raised her hand to knock, but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait." She heard her mistress whisper. "Listen."

Knowing her mistress had a keen sense of hearing thanks to her Faunus trait, she leaned closer to the door, and realized why she was held back. She heard... grunting... a feint slapping... and... _whimpering_... very muffled, but still present.

Stunned, Ilia looked back and gave Kali a worried look, who tried to give her a reassuring one. "Just knock. If she knows it's you she'll probably stop. Then we can deal with it." She whispered.

Hesitating for a moment, the younger Faunus raised her hand and gently but firmly knocked on her friend's door. After a moment she noticed the noises on the other side stopped. She looked back at Kali, who nodded. "I-It's me."

Immediately she was met with a gasp. "Ilia?? What are you doing here?? I thought you were at home for the break!"

"Um... I-I was... but I wanted to... come see you..." Ilia stammered.

"Ilia that is so sweet! Would you like to come in?" She heard Blake excitedly say, but then she adopted a near-sinister tone. "You can help me put this _whore_ in her place."

Hearing that word made Ilia shudder. She looked back to her mistress again, who nodded once more. The younger Faunus gulped. "O-Okay... is the door unlocked?"

"Yeah, come on in."

Now shaking, Ilia reached for the door handle. Taking a couple deep breaths to calm herself, she turned the handle and opened the door, and was met with a horrifying sight that made her blood run cold.

She saw her best friend kneeling behind something tragic, _someone_ tragic. The first thing Ilia noticed was the bruises. There were a few scattered around her torso, but the biggest and darkest ones were on her rear. Next were the scratches. There were tons all over her back, some of them even had dried blood around them. She was panting too... they much have been going at it for a while. Looking over towards her face, Ilia noticed something in her mouth... _panties_... looking like two pairs of them, black and white. She shuddered at the though of whose they were... and if they were _clean_ or not. As her gaze made it to her pale blue eyes, she saw the most disturbing thing... she was _crying_. Those eyes were also staring up at her... _terrified_. Ilia saw the pictures and texts involving this girl... but she really couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Her best friend was... sexually abusing  _Weiss Schnee_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just to be clear; what Blake was doing is not ok. It shouldn't be taken as ok or sexy or anything like that. It's wrong and there will be consequences.
> 
> And would you look at that, pretty much exactly a week later!
> 
> I would love to say once per week is my schedule for this, but with the growing length and complexity of the coming chapters, I'm not sure. But we'll see!
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for reading, your feedback fuels me!


	3. Degradation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The situation is contextualized.

Ilia stood in the doorway of her best friend's dorm room, frozen, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. She tried so hard to deny the signs: the texts, the pictures, everything, but she could no longer deny what was right in front of her. She blankly stared at the feline Faunus, horrified at what she had just been doing. Ilia saw Blake say something, but it didn't register.

"Ilia?" Blake asked again, slight concern in her voice.

The freckled girl snapped out of her gaze. "Yeah?"

"Are you going to join us? I'm sure Weiss would _love_ to have something other than panties in her mouth. But then again... this _was_ her punishment for wearing them today..."

Ilia's mouth hung open. "You... you made her go without underwear...?"

"Sometimes." The Raven-haired girl explained. "Schnee loves the... _thrill_ of getting caught. So some days I'd tell her to leave them in her room. I told her that today, and she didn't listen."

Ilia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Punishment for not wearing _underwear_? She couldn't take it anymore, she had to get her partner in here. "Kali!"

Blake's eyes widened in fear as her mother appeared in the doorway, a serious look on her face. "Hello Blake."

"Mom?!?"

Surveying the situation, Kali looked her daughter in the eyes. "Remove yourself from that young woman. _Now_."

"Hngh!?" Weiss gasped as Blake quickly removed the black plastic member from her. Her pale blue eyes turned to see Blake shuffling a bit farther away and turning to face her mother.

"Now, young lady we must have a _serious_ talk about how we treat our lovers." Kali scolded, before looking back to Weiss. "Well, I suppose _lover_ is being a bit generous, as you've reduced this girl to a sobbing mess. Miss Schnee."

Hearing her name in such an authoritative tone, the heiress scrambled onto her knees, bowing her head. She tried to speak, but with the underwear still in her mouth, all that came out was the sound of her muffled voice.

Kali saw the fear in Weiss' pale blue eyes, so she spoke softly. "Dear, please take those undergarments out of your mouth. I can't understand you." Weiss timidly looked to Blake, but the older woman interrupted her train of thought. "You don't need her permission Miss Schnee. You can take them out."

The ivory-haired girl slowly reached up to her mouth, pulling free the two pairs of underwear, lacy white and plain black. "Yes... Yes ma'am... I'm sorry ma'am..." Her voice barely above a whisper.

"Honey, there's no need to apologize." The older Faunus gently assured. She scanned the room and saw what looked like Weiss' clothes, as ripped up and torn as they were. Kali pointed to the garments. "Are those your clothes?" She watched Weiss slowly turn to where she was pointing, then look back at her and nod. "Cover yourself."

Weiss glanced over at Blake again. "But..." Only for Kali to click her fingers.

"Cover yourself." Kali ordered louder. She heard the girl whimper as she scrambled for her clothes. " _Blake_." She was met with no response, the older woman scowled. "Apologize to Miss Schnee."

"Mom I-"

"Blake." Kali interrupted. " _Now_."

Defeated, Blake turned to Weiss. "I'm... sorry..."

The heiress looked at her Faunus partner in pure shock, hearing those words coming out of her mouth. "It's... it's ok... I deserve it..."

Blake was about to speak up but her mother cut her off. "Nonsense dear! You deserve to have a lover who respects you, who _truly_ loves you."

"But..." Weiss sniffled. "I... I treated your kind so poorly..."

The older woman sighed. "Two wrongs don't make a right. Corrective actions must be gentle, and respectful." Looking at Blake, she continued "Something I expected my daughter to understand."

"She likes it." Blake murmured.

"Of course she does, she's a submissive. She's naturally inclined to enjoy it. It's _your_ responsibility to maintain boundaries and limits in her stead." Turning back to Weiss, she reached out. "Miss Schnee, please, come with me."

After being silent for so long, Ilia spoke up. "What are you gonna do?"

Kali looked at her secret lover. "I'm simply going to talk with her, figure out some things. Miss Schnee, do you have somewhere we can go to talk?"

"Yes ma'am... I... have my own room as well." The heiress quietly offered.

Golden eyes met frosty blue as Kali smiled down at Weiss. "That works perfectly dear. Ilia, stay here with Blake while I go take care of Miss Schnee."

"Sure thing."

Gently helping the ivory-haired girl to her feet, the older women led her out of the room. But before they left, Kali looked back to her daughter. "I am _severely_ disappointed in you."

Hearing those words made Blake's shoulders slump and her gaze fall to the floor. "I'm sorry..." Her mother didn't respond as she left the room with Weiss, closing the door behind them.

A few minutes passed, neither girl speaking. Ilia tried to avoid looking at Blake, as she was sitting there still mostly naked. Finally she grew tired of it. "So, are you going to put on some clothes, or continue being naked?"

"Fuck you."

"Don't me angry at me, I kept telling you it would backfire." Ilia snapped.

Getting up off the floor to get some clothes, Blake murmured. "Yang's never complained."

Ilia shook her head. "That's because Yang can take it. But this girl... shit Blake, how could you treat her like that??"

The raven-haired girl sighed. "At first it was milder, but as time went on it got rougher... she never complained so I thought she ok with it... I mean, haven't you told me you love being spanked?"

"Yeah, _spanked_." Ilia clarified. "Not abused and degraded into a sobbing mess! For fucks sake that girl was reverting to an infant!"

Blake turned around, throwing the sweater she was holding to the floor. "She kept begging me to do it!" She yelled.

"Because you _conditioned_ her to!" The freckled girl shot back.

The feline Faunus' anger turned to a look of shame. "I..."

"No! Don't say you're sorry! You _knew_ what you were doing and you still did it!" Ilia looked over and saw the other girl tearing up. "Don't you _dare_ cry! You have no right to!"

Blake leaned against her dresser and ran her hands through her hair. "What the fuck else am I gonna do?! I fucked up, mom hates me, Weiss is _going to_  hate me, Yang will probably hate me when she finds out what I did... and _Ruby_?! Ruby will never forgive me..."

Ilia's eyes went wide. "What... What did you do to Ruby?" No response. "Blake what did you do to Ruby??"

Taking a shaky breath, Blake finally answered. "I didn't do anything to her... but Weiss is her best friend... what happens when she finds out??"

This earned a confused look from Ilia. "But... didn't she know Weiss wanted to sleep with you?" The freckled girl questioned.

The other girl sighed. "That's the thing, Ruby still thinks she only _wants_ to sleep with me..."

Then it hit her. "So... she doesn't know what you've been doing to her..." The look Blake gave her made the answer clear. "Oh my god..."

Suddenly Blake's breathing increased to near-hyperventilating as she started looking around frantically. "I... I need to go... somewhere... anywhere that isn't here." She attempted to get up but was met with Ilia blocking her.

"You can't run from this."

"I can't stay!" Blake quavered. She tried to shove past Ilia, but was grabbed by her collar and thrown onto her back. The next thing she knew Ilia was straddling her, pinning her arms on either side of her head.

"You are not leaving Blake Belladonna!" Hearing her full name used in such a tone made Blake tremble. "Either you tell them, or I tie you down while I tell them."

The raven-haired girl started struggling against Ilia's grip. "I... I can't, I can't I can't! I don't wanna see Ruby cry! And Yang will yell at me... and... and leave me..."

"They're entitled to do so." The freckled Faunus noted.

Struggling even harder, Blake pleaded. "Ilia please!"

"No! You brought this on yourself." The other girl said as she used a foot to pin down Blake's right arm and used the free hand to get her scroll.

Blake watched in shear horror as she tapped away. "What... what are you doing?"

"I'm texting Yang, and telling her to bring Ruby." Ilia replied coldly.

Hearing the mere mention of their names made the feline Faunus' blood run cold. "Ilia- Ilia please no!"

Ilia sighed, slightly loosening her grip on her friend's arm. "I'm sorry Blake, it's already done."

 

* * *

 

When Kali first took the heiress out of Blake's room, she was a mess. Crying, whimpering, even struggling to walk. But by the time the pair got to the end of the hallway to head upstairs, Weiss was... _different_. Now she was calm and collected, like nothing had ever happened. The older woman wondered how it was possible, until they arrived at Weiss' room. She unlocked the door, led Kali in, and when she closed and locked it, she broke down crying again. Now she understood, a _facade_ , to keep up public appearance.

The raven-haired woman knelt down, putting a hand on the sobbing girl's shoulder. "There there sweetie, we have some peace and quiet now. Come sit with me, and we can talk."

"Okay..." She let Kali help her up and lead her to her bed, where the pair sat. "It... It's not Blake's fault... I wanted it. I _needed_ it... she gave me a taste when I made her snap... and I kept coming back for more because... I never felt so alive..."

The older woman sighed. "Blake is just an ignorant child who has no idea of the damage she was causing you." She watched as Weiss tried to say something, but no words ever left her mouth. Instead more tears started forming in her eyes. "Oh sweetheart... it's alright, come here." Kali spoke as softly as she could as she wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders, pulling her close and rubbing her back as she sobbed.

Finally Weiss spoke up, though barely above a whisper. "I... I need help..." She sobbed as she hugged Kali tighter.

"And I will be here to help you. I promise." Kali softly assured.

Pale blue eyes met gold ones as Weiss looked up at the older woman. "You... will...?"

Kali smiled down at the sobbing girl. "Of course I will, but first I need you to relax." She felt Weiss' grip slowly loosen, her breathing start to steady, and the sobbing eventually cease. "Now, Weiss... may I call you that?" The girl nodded. "You are a beautiful woman Weiss, and you deserve a partner who is firm, but tender. Someone who deserves you, as much as you deserve them. Though I cannot be that person for you, I can certainly help you find them. Just... promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Don't let that person be my daughter." Kali urged. "As it stands right now, she does not deserve you."

Weiss' gaze fell to the floor, thinking about what the older woman said. Taking a deep breath, she answered. "Okay... thank you Mrs. Belladonna-"

"It's _Miss_  dear." The older woman interrupted. "And please, call me Kali."

The heiress hesitated. "Of course... Kali..."

"Now, would you like me to leave so you can get some rest?" The raven-haired woman asked as she began to lessen her embrace. Before she could let go she was stopped by Weiss' hand on her arm.

"Please... stay with me..." The ivory-haired girl softly pleaded.

Kali rested a hand on Weiss' head. "Of course dear. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Thank you..." The heiress whispered.

Golden eyes watched as Weiss got up and walked to her dresser. Kali turned away as she began removing her ripped clothes, waiting until the girl had her nightgown on before looking back. Helping Weiss into bed, she sat on the edge, waiting for the heiress to get comfortable. Kali didn't know how long it took for her to fall asleep, but when she finally did, she looked... _peaceful_. Like she was finally free from all the things Blake had put her through.

But unfortunately she wasn't. Not yet.

 

* * *

 

"And then she said, now _that's_ a katana!" Yang boasted, earning her a set of groans from her friend and sister. Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, as well as the lukewarm response to her most of her jokes, she decided against telling another. She dug out her phone from her pocket and saw something rather unexpected: a text from Ilia. "Hey would you look at that... Ilia texted me. Haven't heard from her in a while..."

Ruby, suddenly seeming a lot more interested in what Yang is saying, perked up from her comic book. "A text from Ilia?? What's she saying?? I haven't heard from her in _ages_!"

Lilac eyes scanned the message. "Uh let's see... she says Blake fucked up and she needs you and me to come to her room as soon as possible..." Yang read, which earned a puzzled look from Ruby.

"Did she say what happened?" Pyrrha asked.

Yang read over the text again. "Nope, just said for Ruby and I to come to Blake's room ASAP."

"Then... I guess we should go now?" Ruby inquired.

"Yeah, let's go. Sorry Pyr, we'll catch up with you later."

 

* * *

 

Out of all the emotions that were running through Blake's head, fear reigned supreme. She feared confrontation with Ruby and Yang. She feared what they would say. She feared what they would  _do_  once they find out what she did. She sat against the wall, legs pinned against her chest, arms wrapped around them, and her head face down on her knees.

On the other side of the room, sitting at Blake's desk, was Ilia. She stared down at the raven-haired girl with her arms crossed, her face a mix of disappointment and sadness. She didn't want to do this, but Blake had been abusing an innocent girl, so she felt like she had to. "Calm down and breathe Blake."

"Fuck you..."

Ilia huffed. "Look, you brought this on yourself, so if you think-" A sturdy knock on the door interrupted the freckled girl, probably from saying something she would regret. Sighing, she rose from her seat and walked to the door. "This is nobody's fault but your own..." She murmured, barely above a whisper.

The door opened to reveal Ruby and Yang, the latter speaking first. "Hey Ilia, so, what exactly was that text about?"

"Please, just sit down." Ilia simply said, gesturing to Blake's bed.

The sisters exchanged looks of confusion before following the brunette into the room, until Yang noticed Blake in her current state. "Blake? Blake??" She gasped as she rushed to the raven-haired girl's side. "Are you alright??"

Blake simply shook her head, shrinking in on herself.

"What happened? Ruby asked, face full of concern.

Ilia looked to Blake. "Are you going to tell them, or shall I?" Making the girl flinch. She watched as Blake opened her mouth a few times, but not saying anything, just digging her nails into her arms.

"Blake, baby you can tell us anything." Yang pleaded, grabbing her friend's shoulder. "Whatever it is, we can get through it." She looked back at Ruby. "Right?"

"Right." Ruby confirmed.

Taking a shaky breath, Blake finally spoke up. "I... I hurt Weiss..."

The blonde screwed up her face. "Hurt her... how...? Because I'm pretty sure Weiss is a masochist so I don't think-"

"No!" Blake interrupted. "I mean... I _really_ hurt her..."

"What are you talking about...?" Lilac eyes looked to Ilia. "Ilia what is she talking about?"

The freckled girl sighed. "Think of how hard the average masochist likes it, now multiply it by _ten_. Just a couple hours ago she had that girl bruised and crying from how hard she banged her."

Ruby had to take a second to process what she had just heard. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Sure she and Weiss have had their issues, but Blake would never do that. She wouldn't...

"She just... she pushed me one day and I went too far... but she liked it, and kept asking for it, so I kept giving it to her... and I thought she liked it because she did, and I liked it... but then mom came and stopped us and Weiss was so scared, and I didn't realize what I was doing until then and now she's with mom... and it all keeps running through my head and I don't know what's going to happen and I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know..." Blake cowered down, covering her head with her arms, silently sobbing.

Ruby was speechless. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She could feel herself shaking... partially in fear, but more predominantly in _anger_. "How... how could you do that to her...?"

The feline Faunus looked up at the crimsonette, tears streaming down her face. "Ruby I... I'm so sorry..."

Tears forming in her eyes, Ruby clenched her fists. "She was your friend... and this is how you treat her!?"

The blonde watched as her sister stood. "Ruby..."

"She came to you for love and you took advantage of her trust!" Ruby yelled, tears starting to stream down her face.

" _Ruby_..." Yang managed, a little louder this time.

The crimsonette was fuming. "What the hell is wrong with you!? How could you cross so many lines with something so sensitive!?" She saw Blake cower even more.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted, causing her sister to snap out of her rage. "It's my fault." Earning surprised looks from both Ruby and Ilia. "I'm Blake's longest partner, and I taught her to do her worst because I could take it, and if it goes too far I can and will put a stop to it... but I didn't think she'd do the same to Weiss. I didn't drill restraint, because _I_ didn't need it."

The silver-eyed girl didn't know what to think. Yang wasn't the one who caused this, she couldn't be. "It's not your fault Yang... it's _hers_..."

"Ruby, please, it's not... if I had taught her restraint this never would've happened to Weiss." Lilac eyes full of guilt. "I'm sorry Blake..."

"No... no no no no no!" Ruby screamed. "You shouldn't be apologizing for what this crazy sadist did to our friend!"

Blake reached up to grab Yang's arm. "Don't do this Yang... don't take the blame for me... _please_."

Lilac eyes met gold ones as Yang looked back at her sobbing friend. "Too late." She turned to face the freckled girl. "Ilia, where did Kali take Weiss?"

"She texted me, said she took Weiss to her room. She's sitting with her while she sleeps." Ilia informed.

Yang nodded. "Alright, go visit her. You can help Kali be there for Weiss when she wakes up."

"Uh, alright sure, but what are you gonna do with Blake?" The brunette asked.

The blonde's gaze dropped. "I don't know..." She sighed.

Ruby stared at her sister in disbelief. This wasn't happening. "What... no... no no! She's not getting off this easily! This bitch needs to get what's coming! She needs to be shown this isn't ok!"

Yang stood to meet her sister's gaze. "Well what do you suppose we do Ruby?" She questioned.

"She... she need punishment! She's an abuser!" The crimsonette yelled.

"Alright." Pulling her scroll free from her pocket, she held it out to Ruby. "Call the police." Earning a shocked look from her sister. "That's what you want isn't it? It's what she deserves, punishment. Call the police, and tell them Blake Belladonna sexually and physically abused Weiss Schnee after being trained to by Yang Xiao Long."

"No... I... I can't put any of this on you..." Ruby stammered.

Yang sighed. "She only did what I taught her to do, what Weiss asked her to do. This isn't black and white Ruby, we're all at fault in some way."

"I... I won't blame you..."

"Ruby...-" The blonde started.

"No!" Ruby shouted. "This bitch needs to be _physically_ punished! And if you won't do it..." Looking around the room, she spots something. "Then I will." Crouching down and reaching under the bed, Ruby pulls out a nine tail whip.

Seeing what the crimsonette found, Ilia took a step forward. "Okay, this isn't gonna work."

"Yeah, Ruby this is a stupid idea." Yang added.

Full of rage, silver eyes looked between the two girls. "Do I look like I care?? I'm gonna teach her what happens when she voluntarily hurts my friends!"

Yang was about to speak up again before Blake tightened her grip on the blonde's arm. "Yang... it's ok..."

"No Blake, it's not ok." Yang objected, stepping between her sister and Blake. "Give me the whip Ruby."

Ruby took a step toward her older sister. "Get out of my way Yang."

Ilia watched as the two sisters stared each other down. "So what, you think giving her a taste of her own medicine is gonna help?"

Turning to the freckled girl, Ruby stared daggers at her. "She deserves it!"

"What will Weiss think??" Yang shouted. "What will she think if she finds out you whipped the woman she loves??"

"How could she love her after this!?" Ruby screamed, knuckles starting to turn white because of how hard she was clenching the whip.

"Because love is blind Ruby." The blonde declared. "Now give me the whip, or I'll take it from you."

Ruby stared at her sister. How could she be defending this girl right now? "You're... You're just gonna let her off the hook? After all she's done?!"

"No." Yang stated. "But I will forgive her."

Forgive her? How could she even _think_ about forgiving this bitch? "How could you... after what she did to Weiss?!?" She shrieked.

"Because she didn't learn any better! Now give me the whip."

Breathing heavily, Ruby looked between her sister, Ilia, and Blake. She roared as she threw the whip across the room. Ruby looked to Blake, silver eyes filled with hatred. "I hope you get what's coming you bitch." She turned to leave, pushing past Ilia in the process. As the crimsonette opened the door, she looked back to Yang. "As long as you side with her, I can't call you my sister." Ruby uttered as she closed the door behind her.

Blake stared at the door, horrified of what she just saw and heard. "Yang... Ruby..." Releasing Yang's arm she collapsed to the floor, continuing to sob. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Yang, who gave her a sad smile.

"Are you sure you're gonna forgive her?" Ilia asked.

Yang looked to her sobbing mess of a friend. Blake was hurting, probably just as much as Weiss was. "Yeah, I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, that was a doozy.
> 
> Thanks again for reading, your feedback fuels me!


	4. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "As I mentioned before, I cannot be the one to take care of you, but I believe Ruby can be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this one was a bit late... okay maybe a lot late. Sorry about that. This was the first time I only had ideas to go off of, rather than rough dialogue.
> 
> I'm thinking that this will be the new schedule, with a chapter releasing on an average of every couple weeks. It will be longer or shorter depending on chapter contents, length, etc.
> 
> So anyways, enjoy!

Ruby's mind was a blur, her body running on autopilot. She remembered leaving Blake's room, feeling angry... and _betrayed_... by her own sister no doubt. But she couldn't worry about that now, Weiss needed her. That was all that mattered.

Now Ruby was standing in front of the heiress' door, frozen. Not out of fear, but because she wouldn't know what to do when she got in there. She wanted to help Weiss, but how? She could run in there and wrap her best friend in the tightest hug she could, tell her everything was going to be ok. But what if that wasn't what she needed? What if she needed to be alone? What if she didn't _want_ Ruby's help?

_No, stop it. You're overthinking it._ Ruby told herself, shaking her head. _Take a deep breath._

_In... and out._

Conscious of Weiss' rest, Ruby knocked softly upon the door. A few moments passed in silence before the door clicked, opening to reveal a woman closely resembling Blake. Though older, with shorter hair and gentler eyes, she carried a familiar strength about her. Those eyes beheld Ruby with curiosity.

"You must be Ruby." The woman said softly, extending a hand in greeting. "As I imagine Ilia told you, I'm Blake's mother, but you can call me Kali."

"Um, hello Kali." Ruby quietly greeted, taking the offered hand. "Ilia said Weiss was in here...? Can I... see her...?"

She saw Kali turn to look behind her, presumably at the sleeping heiress, then back to Ruby. "That depends, why exactly are you here?"

Ruby thought for a moment, only to realize she already had her answer. "I'm here because Weiss is my best friend, because I care for her, I want to make sure she's ok."

Smiling down at her, Kali moved aside, letting go of her hand to gesture for Ruby to enter. She walked in to find one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. Weiss was asleep in her bed, curled up like a baby. In spite of the tear tracks and puffy eyes she looked so tranquil... Then Ruby began to think about all the things Blake could've done to her friend, her _best_ friend... and her fists clenched. Her breathing became unsteady as she felt herself starting to get angry again.

_Breath Ruby, breath._ She told herself again. Ruby couldn't just sit back and wait for Weiss to be ok, she had to do something, _anything_. She looked back at the raven-haired woman with pleading silver eyes, but before she could speak, Kali put a finger to her own lips, motioning for her to follow her outside.

The pair exited the room, the older woman quietly closing the door behind them. "Please, is there anything I can do?" Ruby offered. "I know Ilia said you're here for her, and it's not that I don't trust you... but I want to help her too... I _need_ to help her..."

Putting a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder, Kali smiled again. "I believe you can Ruby."

"What can I do?" The crimsonette pled. "I'll do anything, I just want Weiss to be ok..."

"Coming out of a relationship so volatile has left her raw and unstable." Kali explained. "Weiss will need gentle care to recover fully, but we can discuss that more when she awakes. For the time being, what about you? Ilia informed me your reaction was quite harsh."

"I...I don't know..." Ruby huffed, leaning against the wall and rubbing her eye. "Hearing what Blake did to Weiss...and then my sister _defending_ her...I just don't know what to think anymore." She sighed. "I want to be angry with them, I am angry, but mom always told me that anger is a waste of time, a waste of energy...but I can't just _forgive_ this..." She sniffled, swallowing a the lump in her throat. "I just don't know what to do Kali, everything is wrong, nothing feels right..."

"Then perhaps you should focus on what you _can_ do, in due time the rest will fall into place." The older woman soothed. "You are only young Ruby, this is a lot to digest."

Ruby sniffled, wiping her eyes. "Okay... Weiss, focus on Weiss, she needs me, I can focus on that."

"Good." Kali smiled. "Because I want you to be there with her when she wakes up."

"What about you?" The crimsonette wondered.

"Don't worry, I will be there as well." The older woman confirmed. "But I want your face to be the first one she sees."

Ruby nodded and the pair quietly entered the heiress' room. Kali elected to use the desk chair while she motioned for the younger girl to sit with Weiss on her bed. The crimsonette hesitated, she had never been this close to Weiss as she slept, at least not like this. _You're overthinking it again_. She told herself. Taking a deep breath, she sat down, instinctively taking Weiss' hand. When she realized her action, she considered letting go...but she didn't. And from the pressure on her hand, Weiss didn't want to either.

The pair waited patiently as the ivory-haired girl slept, all the while Kali paid close attention to Ruby's actions, curiosity burning in her eyes. The longer she watched the more sure a feeling grew within her, that perhaps the crimsonette could be the one for Weiss. Her words and actions spoke of respect, affection and perhaps even love, the grief she expressed and was willing to ignore for Weiss' sake only reinforced it. All that remained was to see how she acted as Weiss awoke.

As if on queue, the sleeping heiress began to stir.

A small murmur, a tired groan, face screwed up in exertion as she stretched her stressed limbs, yet still took up as little space as possible. Her hand clutched at anothers as she yawned, firm and sure, even in her drowsy state. "Ngh... Kali...?" Weiss mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to identify the figure in front of her.

"Oh no, it's Ruby." The figure clarified.

The heiress pushed herself upward, blinking sleep from her eyes as she squinted at her friend. "Ruby? Why..." She paused to yawn. "Why are you here?"

"I was worried about you." The crimsonette explained, giving Weiss' hand a reassuring squeeze. "I am worried about you."

Even though she just woke up, Weiss could already feel tears start to well up in her eyes. "You're... worried about me...?"

"Of course I am!" Ruby pressed. "You're always pushing yourself and you never give yourself a break... I'm always worried... and now this happens..." Her voice cracking as she squeezed her friend's hand again, eyes stinging.

"Ruby..." The ivory-haired girl whimpered, tears starting to stream down her face.

Ruby placed her other hand on Weiss'. "But it's ok now! I'm here!" Releasing her hand, the crimsonette pulled her friend into a tight hug, to which she was hesitant to lean into. "I'm here for you Weiss..." She soothed as she rubbed the heiress' back.

Kali watched as Weiss melted into Ruby's arms, the girl's sobs muffled by her shoulder. It brought a smile to her face. The care and devotion shown by Ruby solidified the hopes within her. That there was great hope for Weiss' future, that Ruby's gentle nature could be trained into something more. That Weiss could be happy and safe in the arms of a true loved one, a true mistress. But it would take time, and a delicate hand.

"I think I've seen all I need to." A voice suddenly spoke up, startling Weiss. She looked up to see Kali sitting in her desk chair, admiring the pair with a smile on her face.

"Seen... all that you need...?" Weiss asked, confused.

Kali nodded. "As I mentioned before, I cannot be the one to take care of you, but I believe Ruby can be."

Weiss blinked. "You want Ruby to... _take care_ of me...?"

"Think of it as...pampering, focusing upon your needs and desires, aiding in your recuperation." The older woman explained.

"Desires?" Weiss echoed, worriedly.

"Should Ruby be willing." Kali added, smiling at the girl. Weiss looked to her friend in shock as she smiled back.

"Of course I will." Silver eyes shone with confidence as she spoke. "I'd do anything for you Weiss, I made a promise to be the best friend ever. I meant it."

Weiss' lip quivered as she struggled to swallow the lump in her throat, eyes stinging with fresh tears.

"Ruby, do you understand the extent of what you're promising?" Kali asked, slight concern in her gold eyes.

"Yes." Ruby confirmed. "I said anything, I _mean_ anything. As long as it doesn't hurt Weiss."

"At the moment, it is not hurting her you should be worried about." The older woman declared.

Ruby quirked a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Weiss is a submissive, a masochistic submissive to be specific." Kali explained. "Weiss, do you accept this?"

Weiss gave a gentle, meek nod, before hiding herself in Ruby's arms once more.

"It's okay Weiss." Ruby whispered, her only response was a tighter grip around her waist.

"Submissives are many things Ruby, some are more proactive than others, some more subservient." Kali continued. "In the time I have known her, Weiss has demonstrated the natural desire to bend to strong authority figures, this is a most common trait among submissives. What makes this dangerous is the depths of her masochism." She frowned, considering her words. "Weiss, I won't pretend to know everything there is to know about your feelings on these matters, but I do know this needs to be discussed on your own terms."

"I know." Weiss whispered, voice thick. "I've never talked about it before... I've... researched some..."

"How did it make you feel, deep down?" Kali asked.

The heiress was silent for a time, Kali waited patiently as Ruby rubbed soothing circles upon her back. "Free... like... nothing else existed, nothing mattered... It was the one thing I had complete control over, choosing to let go of that control."

Ruby blinked. "You wanted it?"

Weiss nodded against her shoulder. "It made me feel, in ways nothing had ever made me feel before."

"But... she abused you." The crimsonette argued

"I asked for it." Weiss defended

Ruby squeezed her friend tighter. "Weiss... you deserve better."

"Yes Ruby, she does." Kali agreed. "But better does not mean without. Weiss is a submissive, a masochist, it is in her nature to submit, and that is why she must be protected."

"By me?" Ruby wondered.

The older woman nodded. "Yes, by you Ruby. You who had no interest or knowledge of this beforehand. You who seeks only to help your friend out of a pure heart. I can think of no one better than yourself."

Ruby thought over what Kali said. Could she really fill this roll? Would she be enough to help Weiss- No, she already knew her answer. "Okay, I'll do it, for Weiss."

Kali gave the crimsonette a smile. "Thank you Ruby. Now that that's settled, we must discuss one more thing; a location."

"A location?" The heiress asked, raising her head from Ruby's shoulder.

"That's right." The older woman confirmed. "As it stands right now, it would not be a good idea to do this here. I think it would be in our best interest if we go somewhere else, somewhere where Weiss can be far from my daughter. I would offer my own home, but the main issue there is the fact that it's still Blake's home as well. That and the distance. It took Ilia and I a few hours to get here today."

"Speaking of Ilia, why did you two come together?" Ruby asked. "I thought she went home for the summer."

"You are half correct." Kali explained. "I... _host_ Ilia. She stays at my home from time to time due to the... _complicated_ situation at her own. I'll leave it at that, as it is her own business." It wasn't the whole truth, but it also wasn't a lie. She would tell them later, once the current situation has settled a bit.

"Oh, okay..." Ruby nodded. "But then where can we go?"

"We could... use my apartment..." Weiss mumbled, barely above a whisper.

Leaning towards the pair, Kali spoke softly. "What was that dear? I couldn't hear you."

Weiss lifted herself off of her friend, leaving her warm embrace. She instead elected to gently grab her hand, still feeling the need for contact. "We could use my apartment." She offered, louder this time.

"If you are comfortable with allowing us to use it, then I think that is a wonderful idea." The older woman cooed.

The heiress nodded. "Yes... that would be fine..."

"Would you be up for going there now?" Kali asked.

Weiss nodded again. "Um, there is one thing you should know... I share that apartment with my sister."

  
\----------

  
The drive to Weiss' apartment was not nearly as long as that from her own. It was a nice cruise through the city of Vale, with the only delay being a small amount of traffic. Ilia sat in the front with Kali, electing not to hold her hand as the other passengers were unaware of their relationship. Ruby and Weiss sat in the back, the latter clutching the former's hand like a lifeline.

"And a left turn at this next street, then the building will be on the right." The heiress meekly instructed. For the umpteenth time she looked down at how she was grasping Ruby's hand. It almost made her feel... _ashamed_ of how dependent she was being on her friend. Weiss was lost in thought when Kali informed them that they had arrived. She watched as the older woman drove them into the building's visitor parking and secured them a spot. When they exited the car, instead of using the door on her side, Weiss followed Ruby out her door so she could stay connected to her friend.

It was surprising how fast Weiss slipped back into her mask, surprising and...a little sad. A deep breath, a straightened posture and a cold expression was all it took to wipe away Weiss' prior state, and she effortlessly took the lead into the building. All the while keeping steady hold of Ruby's hand.

The lobby was neat and upscale, wall high windows gave a beautiful view of the ocean, and warm hanging lights gave the white marble floors a pleasant amber tint. The reception desk was also suitably rich, mahogany to match the feature walls, and staffed by a rotound elderly man, smartly dressed in a freshly pressed white undershirt complimented by a well tailored grey vest, matching his equally grey and well manicured moustache, the man smiled as they approached.

"Wow... nice place..." Ilia marveled as the they made their way through the lobby.

"Ah, hello Miss Schnee!" The man at the front desk greeted. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon! Winter mentioned you were staying at the university dorms over the break."

"I still am staying at the dorms, just not for the entire break." Weiss replied calmly. She trusted Klein, having known the man for years, but did not wish for him to worry.

"Are you well Miss Schnee? You seem a tad drowsy." He fretted nontheless, ever observant.

Weiss smiled politely. "I'm feeling under the weather yes, but it shall pass in time."

"Very well, and who are these fine ladies accompanying you today?" He smiled all the wider at her guests, Kali beamed back, but Ruby and Ilia were less enthused for attention.

The heiress gestured to her guests. "My friends, Ruby Rose, Ilia Amitola and Kali Belladonna, they will be visiting for a time."

"A pleasure to meet you, truly." Klein bowed his head.

Kali bowed in return. "And you Mister Klein."

"Please inform Winter should she return early." Weiss requested.

Klein nodded. "Of course Miss Schnee, have a pleasant evening."

"And you as well." Weiss added as she led the women past the front desk to the elevators at the back of the lobby. As soon as the metal doors closed, the heiress's expression broke and her shoulders slumped, not feeling able to keep her mask on any longer.

The ride up to Weiss' floor was a quiet one, the only notable noise being the quiet hum of the elevator. But soon enough it chimed, the doors opened, and the group made their way down the hall. It was fairly bland, aside from the few paintings lining the walls. Reaching Weiss' door, the heiress reached into her pocket and pulled out her key. Since she was doing it with one hand, she fumbled a bit with the lock, but eventually she was able to unlock the door and let the other women in.

Weiss flipped a switch, and the apartment illuminated. Not too dissimiliar from the lobby, but with wood flooring and brighter lighting. The view was also less impressive, showing the opposing hotel behind partially closed blinds. While not cluttered there was an appropriate amount of furnishings, adhearing to a rather monochromatic aesthetic, several splashes of colour helped break up the monotany.

"You have a beautiful home Weiss." Kali admired as the women walked further into the apartment. She gestured to the living room. "Why don't we sit down?"

Weiss nodded "Okay..."

Heading into the living room, the four women took their seats. Ruby led Weiss to the larger middle couch, Kali sat in the arm chair, and Ilia took the love seat in front of the bay window.

Kali looked to the pair on the couch and noticed how Weiss continued to clutch Ruby's hand, but still also kept her distance. "Weiss dear, I noticed you have been holding Ruby's hand since we were at the university, but have not gotten any closer to her, why is that?"

The heiress looked down to where she we holding her friend's hand. "Um... I..." She knew her answer, she just couldn't bring herself to say it. How could she say she was _ashamed_ of depending on Ruby? How could she say she was ashamed of her _best friend_? "I'm just... uncomfortable with relying on people..."

"I understand that Weiss." Kali admitted.

"You... you do?"

Kali nodded. "I do. I understand what it's like to feel like you shouldn't have to rely on anyone. Like it will make you seem weak. It doesn't Weiss. Relying on others just means you're human. Well, at least in your case." She chuckled.

Ruby quirked her brow. "Wait, what do you- oh. Never mind..."

"Relying on others doesn't mean you're weak, quite the opposite in fact." The older woman continued. "It means you're strong enough to admit you need help. Now, Ruby wants to help you, is there anything she can do for you?"

Weiss looked over to a friend with a look of uncertainty. "Can I... um... cuddle up to you...?" She stammered.

Ruby beamed, opening her arms for her friend.

Still feeling very unsure, the heiress slowly raised her legs onto the couch and crawled into Ruby's arms, which closed around her in a gentle embrace.

"There's no need to be shy sweetheart" Kali smiled slyly. "Intimacy is important to a strong relationship, and very therapeutic I might add."

Weiss blinked. "Intimacy...?"

Kali nodded. "I told you that Ruby should be the one to take care of you, but I didn't fully explain my idea. I believe Ruby has the potential to be your new partner."

The heiress lifted herself off of her friend, a puzzled look on her face. "New... partner...?"

"That's right." The raven-haired woman confirmed. "While you were sleeping she showed me she can and wants to be here for you. She put aside her own issues so she could be here for you. Given the proper instruction, I think she could make a fine mistress for you. As long as she's willing to that is."

Silver eyes met gold as Ruby gave Kali a confused look. "Wait, did you say... _mistress_...?" To which she received a nod. "I thought I was here to help Weiss, not become her... sexual partner."

"In this case, they are the same thing." Kali explained. "After her relationship with my daughter, she needs this. She needs someone who can be firm as well as gentle. You have the gentle part covered, but in order for this to work, you will need to be firm as well."

Ruby blinked. "I need to be... _firm_?"

"Yes, you need to learn to take control." The older woman stated. "But not by force, you must allow Weiss to _give_ you control, this breeds trust. This teaches her, and reminds you of the greatest rule in this dynamic." Kali paused for dramatic effect. "The sub is always in control."

"I am?" Weiss whispered in confusion. "I thou-"

"Your dominant is there to serve _you_ Weiss." Kali instructed. "Their entire responsibility is to ensure you are taken care of, to see to your needs."

"There to serve... _me_?" Weiss echoed

"The life of a dominant is as selfless as it is selfish my dear." The older woman continued. "We treat control as a gift, we nurture it, we appreciate it, and when the time is right we give it back _and then some_ , nothing taken without equal or greater given in turn."

Ruby watched Weiss think about what Kali said. "So I have to provide the _selfless_ part? Since Weiss never got it..."

Kali nodded. "Exactly, and the most important aspect of this is _aftercare_ , because aftercare is what nullifies any negative effects a session may leave upon the sub."

"And that's where the... pampering and stuff comes from?" Ruby asked.

"Very good Ruby, after a session you must reassert your true relationship, ground your sub in reality, no matter how great a fantasy may seem it can and _will_ cause psychological stress and damage without proper aftercare." Kali reinforced her point. "The act of aftercare varies depending on the individuals and nature of the relationship, but rehydration, treatment for rope burn and bruising and other aches or pains are almost universal."

Ruby thought over what Kali said. "Okay... I think I get it... I can do that."

The heiress looked up at her friend. "Ruby... are you sure?"

Looking into her eyes, the crimsonette nodded. "Yes, I am."

"I know some of this makes you uncomfortable a-and I don't wan-" Weiss started.

"Weiss." Ruby interrupted. "I can do it. I _will_ do it."

Weiss smiled, pure and unfettered by the days trials, her eyes sparkling even in the dull light. "Thank you Ruby, thank you..."

Ruby pulled her friend close, stroking her hair. "I'm here for you, I'll always be."

"And I you." Weiss whispered, snuggling closer. She hesitated, staring at Ruby's cheek for a moment, before angling her lips to gently brush against its surface. Kali stifled a giggle as Ruby flushed bright red.

"If you are comfortable, I would like to give you some privacy." Kali requested. "I need to make an important call, and you do deserve some time alone to your thoughts."

The heiress smiled. “Thank you Kali...”

“I suggest doing the things you normally do around this time, but with Ruby.” Kali added.

“Okay...” She turned to Ruby. “But can we... continue cuddling for a little while...?”

“I would like that.” Ruby cooed.

"Just in case, do you mind if we have an additional guest?" The older woman inquired.

Weiss nodded. “That’s fine...”

Starting to stand up, Kali looked to her partner. “Ilia dear, why don’t we go for a walk, give these two their privacy.”

"Sounds good." Ilia grinned and she stood up and followed Kali out of the apartment, leaving Ruby and Weiss alone.

Ruby looked down at her friend. "So... what should we do now?"

"I told you already I want too...cuddle...I while longer." The heiress whispered into Ruby's shoulder.

"I was hoping you'd say that" Ruby giggled. "But would you mind if we... _adjusted_ a bit? I wanna lie down too."

"Oh, yes of course." Weiss blushed, awkwardly extracting herself from Ruby enough that they could shift.

Ruby lifted her legs up onto the couch so that she was lying down. Opening her arms again, she motioned for Weiss to join her. The heiress gladly lowered herself onto her friend, arms around her, head nuzzled into her neck.

Though being so close to Ruby was nothing new, she always did aggressively hug anyone who stood still longer than thirty seconds, being in this position still felt so... _alien_. Ruby's warmth permeated her form, her gentle rose scent filling her senses, shallow breaths fluttering across her hair. Until now Weiss had always been... socially _above_ Ruby, she was more intelligent, achieved higher grades, dedicated to her work, a member of the school council even, the sheer contrast of her position now was jarring. A part of Weiss screamed to reject it, to pull away and refuse Ruby's care, because it was _Ruby_ , in a sane world Ruby would be cuddling up to _her_. But at the same time... this felt... _right_. She was comfortable in Ruby's arms, the idea of being her sub...it warmed her heart. She wanted it to be.

Weiss let herself drift in comfort for a time, eyes closed but never truly sleeping, lulled by the rhythmic breathing of her friend, her partner... and soon, her domme.

Swallowing, Weiss spoke up. "Ruby." Ruby hummed in response. "Perhaps... maybe we should... shower." She murmured.

Ruby blinked. " _We_?" She questioned.

Lifting herself off of Ruby's chest, pale blue eyes met silver as Weiss smiled nervously. "Kali said intimacy is important... so I thought perhaps we could start here." Weiss explained. "I mean, it's not like we haven't seen each other nude before..."

Weiss suppressed a giggle at Ruby's sudden blush. "Yea, but those times were accidents." She chuckled.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Name one time where it was _actually_ an accident."

Ruby puffed out her cheeks. "When we went shopping a few weeks ago! I walked in on you in the change room."

"After I _clearly_ said I was not decent." Weiss reminded.

"Well I didn't hear you..." Ruby defended with a pout. "But what about that slumber party we had with everyone a while back? You took your shirt off in front of me!"

"That was because Yang wanted to compare cup sizes!" Weiss countered. "Because apparently _that's what girls do at slumber parties_." She mocked.

Ruby snorted. "Nah, that was just Yang finding a reason to see everyones boobs."

"Flattering." The heiress deadpanned.

"I dunno... I enjoyed what I saw..." Ruby smirked, a hint of blush returning. "But anyway....are you sure about this?"

Huffing, Weiss nodded. "I am, but if you're not comfortable with it we could-"

"No, no it's not that!" Ruby interrupted, pushing herself up to face her future sub. "I was just worried that you were pushing yourself, I wanted to be sure you're ready before we... do... _more_." She smiled shyly. "I wanna be good to you Weiss."

Weiss had never truly appreciated how beautiful Ruby's eyes were, but now here they were staring wide into her own, glimmering in the light, not an ounce of malice or cruelty to be seen.

She much preferred them to gold.

"You have always been good to me Ruby, and you always will be, I know it." Weiss whispered, raising one of Ruby's hands to her lips to plant a kiss upon it.

Ruby's smile grew into a familiar grin. "I promise."

  
\----------

  
Talking about taking a shower together was one thing, but _actually_ doing it was something else entirely.

Ruby and Weiss stood in the latter's bathroom, the shower running, fogging up the glass frame as well as the large mirror above the porcelain sink. The pair still held hands, not wanting to break away from each other.

Taking a deep breath, the heiress looked to her partner. "Are you ready?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Then let us go."

And so the two turned away from each other and started to get undressed. As Weiss removed her clothes, she couldn't help but peek at Ruby as she did the same. She was curvier than Weiss by a mile, a lax diet combined with her athletic ability resulted in a soft but toned form. Her rear bounced almost as much as her breasts as she wiggled free of her pants, far from modest, she had certainly grown in the time they had known one another. Any other day Weiss would be self conscious, envious. But right now she felt only awe admiring her form. It was so beautiful.

As Ruby finished removing the last of her clothes, she looked up and noticed Weiss was staring at her. She froze, an odd smile growing on her face, she clasped her hands across her belly and blushed head to toe.

It was adorable.

As reality set in, they quickly turned away to collect their clothes, flush with embarassment. Neatly folding the garments, Weiss placed them on the granite countertop, while Ruby elected just to lay hers down on the other side of the sink.

The heiress watched Ruby step forward first, opening the shower's glass door and stepping aside, gesturing for Weiss to enter first. She hesitated before timidly stepping into the glass box. A gasp prompted her to turn back, Ruby stared at her wide eyed. "What is it Ruby?"

"Weiss...your back..." Ruby near whimpered, mouth covered by her hand as she gazed in shock at the variosu bruising and scratches that covered Weiss' back and rear. Though some were fresh, others still healed from prior occasions. "Blake...did this to you..."

Reaching back to grasp her shoulder, Weiss' gaze dropped, and she swallowed a lump in her throat. "They look that bad huh?"

After a minute, she saw Ruby's hand cover her own, and she looked up to meet a teary silver gaze, Ruby was crying.

"I'm sorry." Ruby croaked.

"Ruby..." The ivory haired girl began, turning to her partner to to thumb away her tears. "What is done is done...injuries heal."

The crimsonette raised her hands to cover Weiss'. "You shouldn't have to heal, you should be happy and loved."

Weiss offered the most reassuring smile she could. "I do feel happy Ruby." She gently took her partners hands. "And I do feel loved, because of you."

Taking the lead, Weiss backed into the glass box, pulling Ruby in tow. She gasped and winced as the hot water stung her back, Ruby hurried closer, Weiss offered a gritted smile. "It's okay...it stings a bit at first but...it gets better."

"Okay..." Ruby mumbled, backing away.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked, concerned by Ruby's distance despite their held hands.

The crimsonette meekly nodded. "Yeah, I just... don't know if you want me to be that close while we're... like this..." She gestured to her naked body.

"Ruby the point of intimacy is that we're close to each other." Weiss informed. Pulling her partner close, the heiress took her other hand and looked into her silver eyes. "And I want you close to me."

"I like being close to you." Ruby murmured.

Weiss smirked, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I never would have guessed, from all the hugs you inflict upon me."

"Can I... hug you now?" Ruby asked, giving Weiss her signature puppy dog eyes.

"I would like nothing more." Weiss answered, releasing Ruby's hands to becken her close. Opening her arms, she accepted her partners gentle embrace.

As Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss' back her partner winced. "Sorry!" She squeaked, retracting her hands.

"Ruby, Ruby!" Weiss snapped, grasping them before they retreated any further. "It's okay, you just have to be careful." The heiress explained.

Taking a steadying breath, Ruby nodded. "Okay."

Once again, Weiss opened her arms to the crimsonette, who slowly repeated her prior action. Weiss did the same, pulling her flush, burying her face back in Ruby's shoulder. It was a strange sensation for many reasons, the least of which being Ruby's breasts pressed against her own, warm and firm. They stood there for a time, simply enjoying the feeling of being in eachothers embrace. No sounds to be heard but running water, no sights to be had but one another.

After a few minutes, Ruby broke the silence. "Weiss?"

Weiss raised her head from her partners shoulder. "Yes Ruby?"

"Would...you like me to wash your back?" Ruby asked.

After a moment of thought, the heiress nodded. "Please, just...be gentle."

"Don't worry, I will." Ruby assured as she reached for Weiss' Atlesian-brand body wash and baby blue loofah. Squirting some liquid on the spongy implement, she gently touched it to her partners back. Starting with her shoulders, Ruby slowly scrubbed down her back, being extra careful when going over a scratch or bruise. Taking special care of the scratches and bruising. Weiss winced and whimpered at the contact, but assured Ruby she was okay.

Once Ruby was done, she directed Weiss towards the running water to wash off the soap. As the water made contact with the heiress' skin, she immediately clung to Ruby, the water stinging her body harder than before.

"It's okay, I'm here, I've got you." Ruby soothed. Reluctantly, the ivory-haired girl stepped back under the water, wincing as it stung her skin again. Once all the soap was washed off, Weiss continued to hold onto Ruby, while the crimsonette wrapped her arms around her. "So... what now?"

"I just want to sleep..." Weiss mumbled into Ruby's neck.

Ruby nodded. "Okay... do you want me to join you? Or... would you rather sleep alone?"

" _No_." Weiss took a shaky breath, tugging Ruby closer. "Please...don't let me go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading, your feedback fuels me!


	5. Visitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Uh... hi Winter..."

"Yes... yes. The one at Moss and Amber street." Kali explained. "Half an hour? Perfect, See you soon, and thank you... love you too, bye!" Putting away her scroll, she looked to her partner, who was busy enjoying her kale pineapple smoothie, watching the traffic go by. It was a strange thing for a girl her age to like, but it was healthy, so Kali wasn't complaining. The pair were seated at a small cafe, biding their time until they thought it was appropriate to return to Weiss' apartment.

Glancing over at Kali, Ilia noticed that she was no longer on her scroll. "So what did she say?"

"She will be arriving at Weiss' in about half an hour." Kali replied, taking a sip from her own drink. It was a simple cup of green tea with lemon, nothing fancy. After all, she did not have the wide variety of elaborate teas that she did at home.

"So should we head back?" Ilia asked.

The elder Faunus nodded. "Soon, the apartment isn't far. And I would like to enjoy a little more time with my little rainbow." She purred with a grin. Ilia tinted pink.

The pair sat for a short time, enjoying their respective drinks. Once they had finished, Kali returned her cup and the two headed back to Weiss' apartment. It wasn't a long walk, only taking a few minutes to reach the building. Saying hello the Klein on their way through the lobby, the pair boarded one of the elevators and ascended to Weiss' floor. As they approached the heiress' door, Kali hesitated on opening it, instead putting her feline ear up to the wood surface.

"What are you doing?" Ilia queried, raising a brow.

"Making sure we won't be walking in on anything..." Kali quietly responded.

The younger Faunus thought for a moment. "Walking in on anything..." She echoed, then blushed as she realized what her partner meant. "Oh... isn't a bit soon to expect that?"

"It never hurts to be considerate my love." The raven-haired women commented. "Imagine if Blake didn't knock once upon a time..." Ilia tinted pink once again. "Well I don't hear anything, they must not be in the main room." Standing back up, Kali opened the door and quietly entered, Ilia following and closing it behind them. The apartment was... _quiet_. Looking around the kitchen and living room, Ruby and Weiss were nowhere to be found.

"You think they went out?" Ilia suggested.

Kali shook her head. "Their shoes are still in the front hall. Plus, I can hear the main bathroom fan..." Walking over to the bathroom door, the older woman lightly knocked, just in case one of the girls was inside. She was met with no answer. Slowly opening the door, Kali saw the lights were off, nobody inside. The only notable things she found were the two pairs of clothes on the counter. She smiled as she closed the door, letting the fan continue to disperse the steam present in the room.

As Kali turned back in her direction, Ilia quirked her brow. "What did you see? Was one of them in the shower?"

"Not at the moment, but I believe they were both in there not long ago." Kali answered.

"Wait, they were _both_ in there?" The brunette gasped.

The older woman chuckled. "Well I can't confirm _what_ they were doing in there, but there were two sets of clothes on the counter."

Ilia blinked. "If their clothes are in there... then where are they?"

"If I were to guess... I would say Weiss' bedroom." Kali speculated.

"Sleeping? Or..." Ilia started, trying to surpress a blush.

"Judging from the lack of noises coming from her room, I doubt it." The feline Faunus interrupted, trying not to giggle at her partner's embarassment.

Lightly padding down the hallway, Kali approached Weiss' door, listening for any potential _sounds_ emanating from the room. She softly knocked on the door, but received no answer. Turning the handle she peaked inside to find an adorable sight. Weiss and Ruby were sound asleep in the bed, the ivory-haired girl cuddled up in the other's arms. With an adoring smile, Kali gently closed the door and made her way back into the lounge.

Noticing her partner's smile, Ilia raised a brow. "What were they doing?"

"Sleeping soundly, curled up in each other's arms. I had to resist to take a picture, they were so cute!" Kali gushed

The younger Faunus chuckled. "Why don't you come sit with me?" She grinned, making her way to the larger couch. "After all, we don't have long to be alone." Her partner smiled, gladly joining her. They sat for a short time, Ilia resting her head on Kali's shoulder, until there was a knock at the door.

"That must be her!" The older woman chirped, hopping up from the couch and heading to the front door. Turning the handle, she opened the door to be met by a pair of amber eyes. Before her stood a dark skinned beauty, decorated in tiger stripe tattooing, dressed in a sleevless red and black kimono, her old friend, her old flame, Sienna Kahn.

She grinned. "Hello darling."

 

* * *

 

The three women sat in silence, Kali just having caught Sienna up on the current situation. The dark-skinned woman shifted in her position next to her old friend, mulling over what she was just told. "And you said the girl was here?"

Kali nodded. "Yes, she's sleeping in her bedroom along with her new partner."

Sienna quirked her brow. " _New partner_? So soon after your daughter's abuse? What makes this Ruby girl qualified to be her partner?"

"Her instinctive caring nature." Kali answered. "Ruby showed me she was able to be there for Weiss, how she _wanted_ to be there for her. The moment I told her what was going on, she snapped into the caring roll, more than willing to do anything to help her friend. Now she's a blank slate that can be taught the correct way to care for Weiss, free of preconceptions."

"A blank slate..." Sienna echoed. "I see... what an interesting idea... So you plan to have Ruby become Weiss' mistress?"

The feline Faunus nodded again. "That's right. From what I've seen, she will make a much better partner for Weiss than my daughter."

"Speaking of..." The dark-skinned woman started. "What else do you know about that... _relationship_?"

Kali sighed, her gaze dropping. "Other than what Ilia told me, the texts and pictures, and... what I saw ealier today... nothing..."

"Kali... what exactly did you see when you saw Blake today?" Sienna inquired.

The feline Faunus tensed as the prior events of the day were brought up again. "Can we... not talk about that please?"

Sienna was about to respond, when Ilia suddenly spoke up after being silent for so long. "She would rather not have to think about that Sienna. It was hard enough for her to see it in the first place."

"Honestly I don't know how I kept myself composed... I just tried to focus on being concerned with Weiss' well being..." The feline Faunus sighed. "I understand that Blake takes after my dominance but... I can't believe she would do these things to someone who loves her so deeply..."

The dark-skinned woman nodded. "I agree. Knowing her for as long as I have, it disappoints me that she became that sort of person..."

Kali ran her hand through her hair. "I just... I don't know what to do Sienna... I never thought I would have to deal with this... From the ones I saw, Blake's partners were always happy being with her..."

"Was this the first time you have ever _walked in_ on her?" Sienna asked.

"It happened once before, when she was still living at home in high school." Kali explained. "Her girlfriend at the time, Velvet, a wonderful young woman, was staying the night. I called them down for dinner and received no answer. I knocked on the door, and still nothing, so I entered..."

Sienna put her hand to her mouth. "Oh dear."

"The sight was nothing major, but seeing your daughter mid release is never a dull moment. Poor Velvet looked mortified, trussed up between her legs." Kali allowed a a wry smile to cross her lips. "After they were decent she was very apologetic, it was adorable...." Her smile fell. "It was a healthy relationship, until her acceptance into the Mistrali Academy of Arts."

"I take it things did not end well?" Sienna guessed.

The feline Faunus nodded. "They ended as amicably as could be, a clean break as they say... but Blake... hid her true feelings on the matter."

The dark-skinned woman raised a brow. "How did you know she was hiding them?"

"Yang helped her." Ilia suddenly piped up, earning a puzzled look from Sienna. "When Blake first started university she kept to herself, I was her only friend... until Yang came along." The younger Faunus felt a smile forming. "She poked and prodded her until Blake finally started hanging out with her. After that she just started to become... _happier_."

Sienna considered the information she had received thus far. "Has Blake had any other partners since?" To which Ilia shook her head. "So am I correct in assuming that this Yang girl is the cause of Blake's change in attitude during her... _relations_?"

Ilia's gaze fell. "She said it herself... as much as I don't want to believe it. Yang isn't a bad person but..."

"Even a good individual can inflict terrible harm, they just do so unknowingly." Sienna explained.

"So if Yang was the one who caused Blake's change in attitude, then what do you suppose we do?" Kali asked.

Sienna thought for a moment. "I would like to speak with her. Find out exactly how it happened. Ilia dear, could you arrange that?"

The younger Faunus nodded. "Sure thing. I'll call her now." Digging through her pocket, she pulled out her scroll. As she stood, she looked to Kali. "Um, if it's alright with you mistress, I'd like to take this call outside."

Kali smiled at her partner. "Of course dear, go ahead." She hummed, gesturing to the front door.

"Thank you." Ilia bowed before making her way towards the door.

As the brunette approached the door, she heard the sound of keys rattling in it's lock from the other side. She froze just as the door slowly swung open, and Winter Schnee limped in. She halted upon seeing Ilia, eyes darting between herself and the other present individuals. The two women stared at each other for a short time, until Ilia spoke up.

"Uh... hi Winter..."

 

* * *

 

As Winter pulled into her apartment's parking garage, all she could think about was flopping down in her bed for a much needed nap. Today had been especially long, as she had forgotten her painkillers. Her leg had been aching through the morning, and burning through the afternoon. It was a constant, agonizing bite that plagued every second of her existence, until she could down another wretched pill. Gritting her teeth, she navigated through the garage, squeezed into her parking spot and turned off the car. With a sigh she looked to the cane on her passenger seat, gleaming in the dull light, taunting her. Gods she hated needing to use that thing.

Grabbing the cane along with her purse, she exited the car, each step causing the pain to grow exponentially. Eventually, she made her way to the elevator, standing as proudly as her leg would allow and punching her floors button. As the metal doors slid shut she leaned against the rear wall with a groan, shifting all the weight she could onto her healthy leg.

The elevator binged as it arrived at Winter's floor. She took another deep breath, shifting her weight from the wall to her cane as she stood back up. Walking out of the elevator wasn't too bad, but as she got closer to her room, the pain started becoming _unbearable_. By the time she reached her door, her leg was screaming in pain. Frantically digging through her purse, Winter produced her apartment key. After a bit of fiddling, she finally got the door open. She walked into her apartment to find... one more person than she was expecting...

"Uh... hi Winter..." Said the brunette in front of her.

Winter took in the girl before her, dark skinned, darker freckles, wide steel blue eyes, similar to her sister's. Ilia, that was her name. She opened her mouth to greet the girl when she caught movement in the corner of her eye. Shifting her gaze to the living room, Winter saw that there were two unknown Faunus women in her home. Her heartrate shot through the roof as she fell back into the front door. Her hand clutched her hip, reaching for her weapon, only to remember she no longer carried it. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm her nerves.

"Ilia." Winter grit. "Who are these people, and what are they doing in my home?"

The brunette took a step to the side, gesturing to the two women on the couch. "Um, this is my... partner, Kali Belladonna, and my adoptive mother, Sienna Kahn."

So these two were close with Ilia, that was a relief. But it still left one question. "If you're here, where is my sister?" Winter inquired, looking around the room.

"Asleep, in her room." Kali answered

"With Ruby." Ilia hastily added.

" _Sleeping_ with Ruby?" Winter balked. "You mean to tell me she had _sex_ with that girl?"

"While I cannot say for certain what they were doing while alone, I do know they are not in that type of relationship yet." Kali clarified. "But that is beside the point. We need to talk Winter, please, it concerns Weiss."

The ivory-haired woman blanched, her mind suddenly awash with possibilities as to what could have happened to her sister. "Why? Is she okay? Did something happen?" She rushed.

"Winter I assure you, Weiss is in capable hands." Kali soothed. "But something has happened that we must discuss. Please, sit with us." The feline Faunus gestured to the nearby armchair.

Huffing, Winter slowly made her way forward, the pain in her leg far from forgotten as she attempted to remain composed. As she sat down she clenched her cane before her, resisting a sigh of relief as her leg finally rested once more. Winter regarded Kali with a stoic stare. "What is this issue?"

Kali sighed, her ears drooping. "This...is not an easy topic to broach...but-"

"Your sister was involved in a rather toxic relationship Winter." Sienna interrupted. "Today saw its end."

Winters eyes widened, her stoic facade slipping into a cold glare. "What happened to my baby sister?" She seethed, the grip on her cane quivering in barely suppressed rage.

"Your sister is a submissive masochist Winter." Sienna explained bluntly. "She discovered this at the hands of a dominant sadist, and as neither were taught restraint they went too far for too long. Ilia stepped in when she saw the situation had gone too far."

"What?" Winter hissed, using her cane to slowly rise from her chair. "What in the hell are you saying!?"

"The truth, Winter." Sienna stated. "This is a delicate situation that must be handled delicately, please sit down before you do something rash."

"You dare tell me what to do, in my own home?" Winter snarled.

"Winter please, this is a serious situation and I am attempting to make things right." Kali pled. "It's my fault, turn your ire upon me."

"And why would I do that?" Winter glared. "Was it you? Did _you_ hurt her?"

Kali swallowed, lips pressed in a thin line. "No." She shook her head as tears came to her eyes. "It was my daughter, Blake."

"Blake..." Winter repeated, the name was familiar. Weiss often spoke of her friends, over the past few months she spoke of a girl named Blake in particular. Just shy of a month ago Weiss had sent a photo of her friends and herself, Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha and Blake, out on the town. She remembered black hair, amber eyes, feline ears atop her head...almost the spitting image of the woman before her... "Your daughter hurt my sister?"

Kali nodded slowly as a tear slid down her cheek. "I... am not on good terms with Blake. Ever since my divorce she... we were never the same." Kali explained. "There was so much I needed to teach her, so much I _should_ have taught her, I thought she had learned well enough on her own... but... apparently not... I failed her, and in the process brought harm to your sister, and for that I am truly sorry."

The ivory-haired woman sighed, returning to her seat. "You don't have to apologize for something that was caused by your daughter... you are not the one at fault. I just... how could this have happened?"

"To my understanding, your sister and my daughter started to become... _intimately involved_ about four months ago. Over time it escalated... and because neither one of them felt like they should ever say no... it spiraled into willing abuse." Kali described. "I know Blake isn't _evil_... she can't be... it doesn't make sense..." She continued, more for herself than Winter. "But Ilia knows how it _really_ started a bit better than I do..."

"Blake told me it started after they tried to set aside their differences." Ilia began. "They met in her room, talked a bit... and as they did, it got heated... and then it got a _different_ kind of heated..."

Winter blinked. "A... _different_ kind of heated...?"

The brunette nodded. "She... Weiss, was... _aroused_ by the situation... things had gotten physical and Blake was on top, and... they just rolled with it."

"How could Weiss be _aroused_ by being forced down by someone?" Winter questioned. How could anyone? When they were young, both her and Weiss were taught that two partners in a relationship should be equal... so how could Weiss _enjoy_ being beneath someone?

"I told you before Winter, Weiss is a submissive masochist." Sienna repeated. "Blake just... brought that part of her to light."

"But that's wrong! That's not what people should do to others!" Winter objected.

The dark-skinned woman sighed. "I know it doesn't make sense, but some people do enjoy being told what to do, being willingly hurt, being _dominated_ by others."

"That's disgusting." Winter grimaced.

"That's your sister you are referring too." Sienna pointed out.

Winter's gaze fell. "I just... don't understand how she could be like that..."

"It varies from person to person." Sienna explained. "I'm of the belief that we are born that way, but even still, upbringing and lifestyle can influence ones preferences."

"How could you think that?" The ivory-haired woman chastised. "How could you think that we're just _born that way_?"

"Because there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who lead, and those who follow." Sienna described. "Though some may lay claim to both, they always prefer one over the other."

Winter opened her mouth to respond before Kali spoke first. "It really is not so clear cut Winter, Sienna just has a very strong and particular view on the world."

“So... you’re saying Weiss is a follower... but how can that be? She was taught from childhood to be a leader!" Winter declared. "She's supposed to head the SDC when she graduates!"

"Winter!" Sienna interrupted. "Being a submissive doesn't mean she submits to _everyone_ , only to those she truly loves and trusts."

"Yeah!" Ilia cut in. "If some random person told Weiss what to do, she'd tell them to fuck off!"

Winter mulled over what she was told. "Only to those she loves..." She echoed.

The dark-skinned woman nodded. "Yes, _only_ to those she loves."

"Okay..." Winter slowly nodded. "So, now that she's out of that _relationship_ , what are you going to do about Blake?"

Kali's gaze dropped. "I... don't know..."

Winter scowled. "What do you mean you _don't know_? Your daughter _abused_ my sister! Punish her!"

"It's not that easy!" Kali shot back, before realizing she raised her voice. "I'm sorry, it's just... I never thought I would have to deal with this..."

"Why don't we let Winter decide then?" The dark-skinned woman suggested.

Kali blinked. "What?" She exclaimed, frowning in thought. "I...suppose that is fair..." Her ear twitched. "As Weiss' guardian you have the right."

"Agreed, however I should be the one to handle the punishment itself." Sienna interjected. "I am experienced in handling these issues, and must investigate before action can be taken."

"What is there to _investigate_?" Winter grumbled. "This girl is a sadist who reveled in hurting my sister! What else is there to know?"

"I need to know _how_ she became this way." Sienna declared. "Blake has experienced stable, loving relationships in the past, until seemingly, she met Yang, her prior partner. I plan to meet with Yang and find out what happened to cause this drastic shift in treatment of her sexual partners."

"Oh, should I go call her now?" Ilia asked, holding her scroll up.

Sienna smiled briefly. "I would appreciate that Ilia, thank you."

"I want to accompany you." Winter spoke as Ilia left. "I want to hear it for myself."

"Hmm..." Sienna mulled the offer over, a grin slide across her visage. "Very well, on one condition."

Winter furrowed her brow. "What sort of _condition_?"

"We make it a date." Sienna answered, beaming. Kali sighed, burying her face in her hand.

The ivory-haired woman felt her cheeks warm. "What?" She breathed in shock.

"Well I imagine you still want information." Sienna guessed. "You can use the time to ask all the questions you want answered, with the added bonus of having a nice time with a beautiful woman." She smirked.

"Always straight to teasing with you..." Kali sighed.

Winter frowned. "Why can't you just answer my questions while you're here?"

"Because unfortunately, my time here is limited." Sienna informed. "I was only supposed to stay here for a short time to discuss Blake with Kali."

Winter huffed. "Fine. I accept your condition."

"Wonderful!" Sienna smiled, before pulling out her scroll and handing it to Winter. The ivory-haired woman looked at the scroll, then back to Sienna, a confused look on her face. Sienna chuckled at her confusion. "So you can give me your contact info."

"Oh, very well." Winter grumbled, adding her contact information into Sienna's phone before passing it back to her.

As the dark-skinned woman stood, she looked to Kali. "Have Ilia contact me once she knows when Yang is able to see me." She requested as she headed towards the front door. "And Winter..." She started, slowly opening the door as she spoke.

Winter shifted her gaze to her leaving guest. "Yes?"

"I look forward to our _date_." Sienna purred, a sly smile on her face as she trailed her fingers along the door, closing it behind her.

Leaving a blushing, shell shocked Winter sitting in the arm chair staring at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, your feedback fuels me!


	6. Small Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Is there anything you wish to ask me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I was thinking this chapter was gonna be late because of my busy schedule recently. So I was gonna be like "Here's an extra long chapter for the extra long wait!"... but it's on time.
> 
> So... here's an extra long chapter anyway! Enjoy!

Ilia stood in the hallway, tapping her foot as she listened to the ringing tone in her ear, once, twice...

"Hi Ilia..." Came Yang's tired voice, drained of its usual cheer.

"Hey Yang... are you alright?" Ilia asked.

"Yeah, it's just that Blake is..." The blonde sighed. "You know what, never mind. What's up?"

The brunette awkwardly fiddled with her scroll. "Um, are you... free sometime?"

A mirthless chuckle was heard over the phone. "Oh? Are you asking me out?"

Ilia felt her skin slightly tiny pink. "No, no! I'm just... a friend of mine wants to talk to you... about Blake..."

There was a pause. "What _about_ Blake?" Yang inquired.

"Well... I'm outside Weiss' apartment right now... and... I told Blake's mother Kali, as well as my own adoptive mother Sienna, everything Blake did to Weiss..." Ilia explained. "Now... Sienna wants to talk to you... find out what happened between you and Blake..."

"Oh..." Yang hesitated. "So you told her about that..."

"Yeah..." Ilia murmured. "She knows that you were Blake's last partner before Weiss, and before you she never had the... same problem she did with Weiss..."

"I understand." Yang assured. "So... when does she wanna meet?"

"Anytime you're available." Ilia answered.

Another pause. "Well... what about tomorrow? Since it's the weekend I'm guessing she won't have work... is that ok?"

Ilia thought for a moment. When she used to live with Sienna, her weekends were usually free, unless she made specific plans. "Yeah that should be fine. I'll have her contact you later about when and where."

"Okay... is that all?" She heard Yang's less-than-cheery voice ask.

"Are you really ok?"

A third pause, this one longer than the other two. "Blake's just having a hard time... and I'm trying to deal with it... I'll talk to you later..."

_Click._

Ilia sighed, leaning against the corridor wall. On one hand, Blake was getting what she deserved... but on the other, she was still her best friend. Either way... she hoped Blake would be alright after all this...

Suddenly Winter's door opened, interrupting Ilia's train of thought. "I look forward to our _date_." She heard Sienna's voice say as the dark-skinned woman exited the apartment, closing the door behind her.

Ilia quirked her brow. "Your _date_?"

Sienna smiled. "Well, Winter wants to join me when I talk to Yang, and I thought it would also make a good opportunity for her get all her questions answered. Plus, that woman seems rather stressed, so it would be good for her to have a nice day out."

"So... you see a stressed woman who you _just_ met... and your first thought is... to ask her out on a date?" The brunette wondered.

"It does sound rather odd doesn't it?" Sienna chuckled. "Did you talk to Yang yet?"

Ilia nodded. "Yeah, she's free tomorrow if you are."

"That sounds perfect." Sienna hummed. "Tell Winter I'll pick her up around lunchtime tomorrow." She continued as she turned to walk towards the elevator.

"Before you go..." Ilia started, causing the dark-skinned woman to turn around. "I'll send you Yang's contact info so you let her know where and when you want to meet."

"Thank you Ilia." Sienna praised. As she turned back again to walk down the corridor, she felt a tug on the back of her Kimono.

"Please don't be too hard on her..." The younger Faunus mumbled.

Sienna turned, smiling down at her adoptive daughter. "Don't worry sweetheart, I won't."

Smiling back, Ilia pulled Sienna into a hug. "I love you mom."

"I love you too."

 

* * *

 

Minutes passed, and Winter was still staring at her front door. How could that woman have gotten her so flustered so easily? Even during the past year, she had been hit on by men and women alike, and it never phased her. But this woman... something was different about her...

"Winter?" She heard Kali's voice speak, bringing Winter back to reality.

"Oh, um, yes?" Winter asked, shifting her gaze to the feline Faunus.

"I apologize for Sienna's behaviour towards you." Kali bowed her head. "She can be a little... hard to deal with sometimes... She was just trying to fluster you..."

Winter blinked. "It's... alright..." Taking a breath, she refocused. "It just, caught me off guard is all..."

"Okay, if you're sure." Kali nodded. "Is there anything you wish to ask _me_?"

The ivory-haired woman thought for a moment. "What exactly are your plans with my sister? And what does Ruby have to do with them?"

"Well, your sister has a set of needs that can only be handled properly by a certain type of person." Kali explained. "With Ruby, those urges and desires Weiss feels can be handled safely, with care and love. Even the most extreme of wants can be satiated"

"So... Ruby is this _type of person_ Weiss needs?" Winter asked.

"The softest touch can carry the greatest impact Winter." The feline Faunus continued. "Ruby is a gentle soul, Weiss can bare her soul freely in the knowledge it will be treated with love and adoration."

Winter hesitated. "But you said Weiss is a... _submissive_... doesn't she need someone who's _dominant_?"

"Dominance is a role." Kali clarified. "A mother is dominant to her family because that is her duty, but not necessarily because they are themselves _dominant_."

"So... Ruby will be in the dominant _role_... but not in the dominant _attitude_?" The ivory-haired woman queried.

Kali nodded. "Precisely. Ruby will tend to her out of love rather than lust."

"Tend to her...?" Winter echoed.

"However Weiss desires." The older woman explained. "In my eyes a dominant lives to serve their submissive, not the reverse."

"They... _live to serve_...?" Winter echoed again. "So... who is the one that is really in charge?"

Kali shook her head. "Neither. A true, strong relationship has power equality."

Winter raised a brow. "Then what is the point of these _dominant_ and _submissive_ roles?"

"They breed trust." Kali explained. "Though parity is key to a relationship, people have a tendency to crave one extreme or the other, or both depending on the mood."

"So Weiss... _craves_ to be dominated...?" Winter wondered.

"Simply put, yes." Kali nodded. "More complex however... I gather the impression Weiss has experienced a stifling lifestyle."

The ivory-haired woman sighed. "Well... our mother wasn't around very often... and our father wasn't the most... _caring_ of people..."

"Would you say Weiss has experience pressure? The weight of expectation?" The feline Faunus questioned.

Winter's gaze fell, her mind flooding with old memories. "By our father, yes... He expected us to be perfect. Our manners, posture, grades, even our _looks_... All so we can be acceptable daughters of the CEO of the SDC..."

" _Expected to be perfect_... Interesting... "And how did you handle that? How did _Weiss_ handle that?" Kali asked.

"I just did what he asked until I finished University, then I joined the military..." Winter explained, keeping her voice as calm as possible. "Weiss on the other hand... she wasn't as ok with it..."

The older woman quirked a brow. "How so?"

Winter took a deep breath, suppressing the grief that welled within her. "She constantly acted out... I'm not sure if it because she disagreed with what he said, or out of spite... but every time, he had one of the maids... spank her..."

"Spank her? The _maids_?" Kali balked, baffled. "That's completely out of line!"

"Well, he didn't want to do it himself, as he didn't want word getting out that he spanked his daughter..." Winter continued. "And our mother wasn't around enough to do it herself... so he assigned that duty to one of the maids."

Kali huffed, frowning. "Your father is an abusive coward."

Winter sighed. "He was rather hard on us... I remember comforting Weiss every time she was punished... She was shocked at first, struck dumb by the act. She cried in my arms, feeling humiliated and powerless... but over time she seemingly grew numb to it."

"And after then?" Kali asked.

Winter shook her head. “For the most part, that was it. She stopped... _reacting_ to the punishments... but there was one time where it was different...”

The raven-haired woman knit her eyebrows. "In what way?"

“Well we were studying in our library at the time." Winter recalled. "I remember her having to be punished for wearing... _something_ our father didn’t like. But when she came back... she almost seemed... _happier_ than she was before...”

Kali mulled over the information. "Hmm... interesting."

“What is it?” Winter wondered.

"Just...a theory." Kali began. "Individuals can usually trace their fetishes to something specific. A certain point in their lives, when they felt a certain way, did a certain thing, or a experienced something specific that instilled a desire within them."

Winter blinked. “So... you’re saying Weiss got this... _fetish_... from our father’s punishments?”

"Indirectly, its likely." Kali nodded. "Not all fetishes stem from positive origins. I believe Weiss took this punishment, and made it a strength. Was there any further changes in her behaviour after the fact?"

The ivory-haired woman thought for a moment. "Not that I noticed... though I had been more engrossed in my studies for the past while because I was in university..."

"Weiss never talked to you about... _growing pains_? So to speak." The feline Faunus asked.

Winter quirked a brow. "Growing pains? Are you referring to puberty?"

Kali nodded. "Yes, am I correct in assuming she experienced much of this during?"

"Well she was punished a lot during childhood too... but yes, the time when she seemed almost happy was during her early years in high school." Winter confirmed.

"Then I think it's safe to say this is no coincidence. Weiss experienced her sexual awakening at the hands of your father's maids." Kali declared.

Winter sat there in silence. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After a couple minutes she spoke up. "I... don't know what to think... how could I let this happen..."

"Winter." Kali said softly. "You mustn't blame yourself for this, you were young and fearful."

The ivory-haired woman took a shaky breath, tears started to form in her eyes. "I should've paid more attention to her... actually looked more into it that day... so she wouldn't have had to have that experience with the _maids_!"

You were a _child_ , Winter." Kali pressed. "You had no way of knowing, the blame is upon your father, and upon the maids for consenting."

"She's my sister!" Winter yelled, tears in her eyes. "I should've known about what was happening! If I had more experience back then... I could've helped..."

Kali reached over, placing her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "But you didn't, and you _couldn't_ , but you do now, and you _can_."

"But how am I supposed to help her?" Winter sniffled

"By being understanding, by being supportive." Kali explained. "I realize this is a strange and disturbing thing to learn about, I realize many may find it objectionable, but treating it in a disparaging manner will only cause further harm."

Taking a deep breath, Winter nodded. "Okay... I can do that..."

"Good, thank you." Kali smiled. "You are being very strong, but you dont need to keep up an appearance, you are in pain?"

"My leg..." Winter sighed, shifting her gaze to the injured appendage. "I... sustained an injury a couple years ago... that's why I have the cane..."

"Is there any way I can help?" The raven-haired woman offered.

Winter hesitated, unsure if she wanted to trust this woman with this. "Could you... grab my painkillers for me? They're on my bedside table..."

"Of course, which room is it?" Kali asked as she stood up from the couch.

"The room across from Weiss'..." Winter quietly answered. "And thank you..."

Kali smiled. "Its no trouble, thank _you_ for allowing me to stay in your home, I realize this was an intrusion."

The ivory-haired woman shook her head. “Not at all. you’re helping my sister, therefore you are a welcomed guest.”

The older woman bowed her head before turning away, heading to the hallway. Turning into it she almost ran into the shorter figure of Weiss, who stood frozen in the corridor. "Weiss, are you okay?" Kali whispered.

The heiress looked around Kali, wiping the sleep from one of her eyes. “Was that... Winter?”

Kali nodded. "Yes dear, I've been speaking with her."

“About... what?” Weiss inquired.

"A lot of things, but primarily your safety, what you are going through, what you _have_ gone through, and how we are going to help you." Kali held her hands out for Weiss to take, she quickly did so, slightly shaking.

Weiss blinked. “You told her... about what happened...?

"I did Weiss." Kali admitted, before lowering her head. "I apologize for doing so without your presence, but I did not want to wake you."

“It’s... it’s ok..." Weiss murmured. "Can I... talk to her?”

"Of course sweetie, I'm just fetching her painkillers, so I'll give you some time alone." Kali hummed, releasing the younger girl's hands and stepping aside.

“Thank you.” The heiress mumbled as Kali made her way to Winter's room. Peaking around the corner, she saw her older sister sitting in the living room. The older sister she hasn't seen in months due to her classes, not to mention her relationship with Blake. The feelings of guilt only grew upon seeing the tears in Winter's eyes. As Weiss slowly made her way towards her sister, she tried to call out to her. "Winter?" Came the near-whimper.

The woman in question raised her head, turning to see her younger sister standing at the edge of the living room, clad in her pyjamas. "Weiss..." Winter spoke as she slowly raised from her chair. Ignoring the immense pain in her leg, she approached the younger girl.

"I..." Was all Weiss could get out before she was wrapped in a tight embrace. She felt tears start to form in her eyes as she returned the hug.

"I'm so glad your home..." Winter sniffled as she squeezed her sister tighter.

The heiress froze. "You're... not going to judge me...?"

Winter grasped Weiss by the shoulders, holding her at arms length and meeting her gaze. "Why would I _ever_ judge you Weiss?"

"Because..." Weiss' lip quivered, her gaze dropping to the floor, unable to meet her sister's. "I'm a freak."

Winter sighed, pulling Weiss back into her arms, the girl letting loose a shuddering breath into her chest. "How can you say that about yourself?"

"I like _pain_ Winter, I like...I like so many things that I shouldn't..." The younger girl sobbed.

The elder sister shook her head. "When you're in an intimate setting, there isn't anything that you shouldn't like..." She consoled. "Sure some things may be more _out of the ordinary_ than others, but nothing that you enjoy should be considered wrong."

"I think these things are a little more than _out of the ordinary_..." Weiss mumbled.

"For the sake of argument I'm broadening my perceptions of the ordinary Weiss." Winter informed.

Weiss looked up, tears in her eyes, to meet her sister's gaze. "So... you don't think I'm a disappointment?"

Winter blinked, not believing what she just heard. "Why would I ever think that?" She gasped.

"I...wanted to make you proud." Weiss murmured.

"Weiss." Winter tightened her grip on her sister's shoulders. "You have never done _anything_ that didn't make me proud."

"I've always tried my hardest, for mother, for father...for you..." The heiress wept. "You're the only one that matters now."

Winter pulled the younger girl into a tight hug. "You don't need to try so hard Weiss... I love you, and nothing will ever change that."

Weiss sniffled, her arms tightening around her sister. "I love you too Winter."

 

* * *

 

Ruby awoke for the second time to a unexpectedly cold bed. There was no pressure on her side... had Weiss not returned from the bathroom? Ruby fumbled blindly around the bed for her friend. Finding her grasp wanting, she huffed, slowly opening her eyes. The room was almost pitch black, very little lighting creeping through the thick curtains. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she scoured the room, Weiss was nowhere to be found.

Slipping out of bed, Ruby hissed as her feet touched the cold floor. She didn't know how Weiss could stand a hardwood floor, but it probably explained how cold her feet were. Making her way to the door she began to hear voices, one of them was deinitely Weiss, but the other... she knew it was familiar, but she couldn't place why. Slowly opening the door, Ruby stepped into the hallway, but upon her second step forward a hand lay itself upon her shoulder. Ruby turned to see Kali smiling gently down at her, a pill bottle visible in her free hand as she held a finger across her lips, signalling for silence.

"We should let them finish their talk first." Kali whispered.

Ruby looked over he shoulder, trying to peer into the living room. "Who's Weiss talking to?" She quietly asked.

"Her sister, Winter." Kali informed.

"Is... everything ok?" Ruby hesitantly wondered.

"There hasn't been any raised voices, so I believe so." The raven-haired woman assured. "We just need to give them a bit of time."

The younger girl nodded. "Okay."

Minutes went by as Ruby and Kali stood in the hallway, the former sitting against the wall, the latter peeking around the corner every so often while they waited for the two sisters to be done with their talk. Eventually the older woman checked again, and she smiled, waving her hand to signal for Ruby to follow. Kali led the crimsonette around the corner to the living room, and what she saw would've made her giggle if she hadn't covered her mouth with her hands. Winter, still clad in her business attire, was laying on the couch with Weiss cuddled up in her arms. Seeing the smiles on their faces made Ruby feel so... _warm_. She felt like she could just stand there and watch them forever, which on one hand would be creepy, but on the other she couldn't bear to disturb them. Kali on the other hand...

"Winter." Came Kali's soft voice as she stepped forward, gently putting a hand on Winter's shoulder.

The ivory-haired woman's eyes briefly tightened before fluttering open. Looking up at Kali, she smiled before shifting her gaze down to her sister. "Weiss, it's time to get up..."

A small groan was heard as Weiss opened her eyes and pushed herself off of Winter. "Okay..." Then she spotter her. "Ruby! I... I'm sorry... I said I was going to the bathroom, then I heard Winter and I wanted to talk to her and-"

"Weiss, it's ok." Ruby interrupted, smiling. "If it were my sister I'd do the same thing." Then her gaze fell. "Well... I would have..."

The heiress blinked. "What do you mean?" _Would have_? Ruby had always been on good terms with Yang... Even earlier today when they were with Pyrrha, they were friendly as ever... Had something happened Weiss was not aware of?

Seeing Weiss' confusion, Ruby spoke up. "After Kali took you to your room, Ilia called Yang and I to Blake's room to tell us what happened. Yang took Blake's side, I won't."

Weiss suddenly felt a lump in her throat. "Oh..." So Ruby is angry with Yang because of her...

"But do not take this the wrong way Weiss. This is in no way your fault." The older woman soothed. "This situation is difficult for us all."

After hesitating briefly, the heiress slowly nodded. "Okay... I'm sorry..."

Ruby opened her mouth to speak before a voice cut in. "Is it okay to come in now?" Everyone turned to the doorway to find Ilia peeking inside... while also covering her eyes.

Kali chuckled. "Yes dear it's ok to come in."

Uncovering her eyes, Ilia breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the apartment. "So what's the plan now?"

"If it is alright, I would like to speak with Ruby alone." Winter requested.

Ruby blinked. "You wanna talk to... _me_?"

The ivory-haired woman nodded. "As long as you are comfortable with it."

"Uh, sure!" The crimsonette exclaimed. "Like, here or..."

"We can talk in my room, so the others may stay here." Raising from the couch, she turned to her sister. "We will be back soon." Winter assured with a smile. She received a nod and a returned smile in response.

Before Winter could lead Ruby out of the living room, Kali spoke up. "Before you go Winter, would you like your painkillers?"

The ivory-haired woman turned to see Kali holding out her pills. "Oh, thank you Kali." She smiled, taking the bottle and downing a couple pills before turning to Ruby. "Let's go Ruby." To which the crimsonette hopped off the couch and joined the ivory-haired woman.

Following Winter down the hall, the two entered her room, the older woman turning on the light before closing the door behind them. Gazing around the room, the first thing Ruby noticed was how... _bland_ it was. The monochromatic aesthetic matched that of the rest of the apartment, but there were much fewer colours to help break up the monotony. The only notable things in the room were a double bed, a dresser, and a desk with a fairly modern-looking laptop on it. Winter motioned for Ruby to sit on her bed, while she herself pulled over the chair from her desk. As the two took their respective seats, Ruby waited with her hands clasped in her lap. Even though she had met Winter before, she was still nervous of a one-to-one talk with her.

"So..." Winter started, making the crimsonette flinch slightly. "What was your relationship with my sister before all this?"

"We were best friends!" Ruby immediately answered, before her gaze dropped slightly. "I mean we still _are_ best friends... I think... just a bit... _different_..."

"Yes I've heard, you are to be her new... _mistress_..." Winter sighed.

"Well yeah... I guess..." Ruby shrugged. "But I'm not here to take advantage of her! I just wanna help my friend..."

There was a brief pause before Winter smiled. "Good. But that begs the question, how did you two go from friends to... sexual partners?"

The younger girl felt her face heat up. "Oh we're not... like that... at least not yet..."

Winter quirked a brow. "Not yet?"

"We um..." Ruby started, trying to maintain eye contact with the ivory-haired woman. "We haven't... _done_ anything... but we uh... took a shower together earlier..." Then she saw the look on Winter's face, a mix of surprise and anger. "But I didn't force it! It was actually Weiss' idea! All I did was wash her back I swear!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in surrender.

Winter was silent for a moment. "If I may, what makes you so comfortable with the idea of being so intimate?" She inquired.

"Well... Weiss... I've always liked her, that way, a _little_... she's just so.... _much_ , smart and pretty and yeah she can be prickly sometimes but when she lets go and just enjoys herself it's... it's beautiful." Ruby blushed at the admission. "But at the same time there was just no way, she was out of my league, she was _Weiss Schnee_ , head of the student council and I was just... me." Ruby slumped in on herself, focusing on her thumbs wrestling nervously. "Ruby Rose, the girl who can run fast sometimes... I never thought it could happen, so I just... tried to be her friend instead. And I tried my best, even though she didn't like me at first, and sometimes we'd argue or fight over something dumb or sometimes not really dumb we... we always work it out... but I never thought I was good enough, not... not like this... but I'm going to try."

The ivory-haired woman smiled, impressed with what she just heard. "I see your self depreciation is not to dissimilar from Weiss. Neither of you give yourselves the credit you deserve. I remember Weiss expressed similar sentiments at times about you. How your friendship was _far too genuine_ to be deserved, especially given how she acted towards you back when you first met."

Ruby blinked. “Weiss said that... about me?”

"She also expressed similar opinions about her prior friends." Winter noted. "Though through varying degrees of resentment. I suggest not discussing Pyrrha's grades around her."

The crimsonette chuckled. “Yeah, I remember the first time we talked about our averages and stuff, Weiss wasn't very happy Pyrrha’s was higher than hers.”

"An unfortunate result of our upbringing." Winter grimaced. "Weiss was expected to achieve perfection, we both were."

Ruby's gaze fell. “I guess that was why she cared so much... But still... she was already perfect in every way...”

"Just be careful Ruby..." Winter softly pled. "Weiss... she's all I have."

"I would never think of doing anything else." Ruby assured.

The ivory-haired woman nodded. "I place my trust in you, as a sister you should understand what this is like for me."

"Yeah..." The younger girl mumbled, not wanting to think about Yang.

Seeing Ruby's dicomfort with the subject, she decided to change it. "What is your plan, if you are comfortable with me asking?"

"Oh, um... from what Kali told me, it's all about pampering Weiss, _serving her_ as she put it..." The crimsonette explained, her face screwed up in discomfort, and she wiggled in place.

Winter smiled. " _Pampering_ , now I know Weiss will like the sound of that... are you okay?" She trailed off as she noticed the younger girl shifting in her seat.

Ruby stopped her squirming, looking up at the ivory-haired woman. "Yeah... just trying to get rid of a wedgy."

"Ah yes, women's underwear can be quite uncomfortable at times." Winter sighed.

"Especially when they're not yours..." Ruby added, before realizing what she just said.

Winter blinked. "What?"

"Um..." Ruby squeaked, suddenly feeling hyper aware of the soft satin pyjamas that covered her skin. Among other places.

"What do you mean by _not yours_...?" Winter questioned.

"I um..." Ruby started, trying to maintain eye contact with the frosty blue eyes that stared into her own. "I'm wearing Weiss' pyjamas..."

Winter chuckled. "I can see that Ruby. Are they giving you a wedgy?"

Ruby meekly shook her head. "Not exactly... her um... underwear are..."

Winter sighed, rubbing at her brow. "Right... of course... Weiss is rather slight."

"Yeah... they're a bit uncomfortable at times..." Ruby murmured.

"Perhaps a pair of my own would fit better..." Winter thought out loud, looking over at her dresser.

The crimsonette shook her head. " _No no_ it's fine Winter really, I'll just live with it until I change back into my own clothes..."

Winter nodded. "Very well."

After a short silence, Ruby spoke up. "So... is there anything else you wanna ask?"

Winter thought for a moment. "Hmm... will you be staying here?"

"Well Kali said it might be a good idea to stay away from the dorms... _away from Blake_..." Ruby explained, a hint of anger in her voice. "So if I'm invited, I would like to."

The ivory-haired woman smiled. "I thank you for asking, you may stay Ruby. Do you happen to cook?"

"Oh yeah, I can cook a fair amount!" Ruby burst. "I learned from my mom... and Yang... back when I was a kid..."

"Thank the gods." Winter laughed. "You can move in if you cook for us, I'm dreadful."

"I could teach you!" Ruby beamed. "I mean I'm here to help Weiss, but that doesn't mean I can't help you too."

"Perhaps, I can manage a mean salad, but I have always wanted to make my own lasagna-" Winter started before she was cut off by several short knocks.

"May I come in for a moment?" Came Kali's voice from the other side of the bedroom door.

"Of course Kali, is something the matter?" Winter asked, slight concern in her voice.

The door opened and Kali stepped inside. "No no, I just have question for Ruby."

Ruby suddenly threw up her hands. "I didn't do it!"

"I am not accusing you of anything dear." Kali chuckled. "I just wanted to inform you I am heading to the university to pick up some of Weiss' clothes, and am wondering if you would like me to do the same for you."

"Oh, uh yes please!" Ruby chirped. "My room is... should I just come with you?"

Kali shook her head. "It's quite alright Ruby, unless you are uncomfortable with me handling your underwear."

"No I'm fine! It's fine." Ruby assured. "Uh my keys are in my pants pocket and it's room two fifty seven!"

The older woman nodded. "Thank you Ruby, I will be back in a little while."

"It is no problem at all Ruby." Kali smiled as she stepped back and began to close the door.

"Oh Kali before you go..." Winter started, prompting Kali to peak her head back in. "How is Weiss doing?"

The raven-haired woman smiled. "She's fine Winter, her and Ilia are just watching some tv."

Winter breathed a small sigh of relief. "Good, and thank you, again."

"As I said, it's no problem at all." Kali hummed. "I will see you all in a little bit." And with that, the older woman left, closing the door behind her. A few minutes went by as Ruby and Winter sat in silence, staring at the door.

"I really like her." Ruby suddenly piped up, turning to face Winter.

Winter nodded. "She is a very nice woman."

Ruby's gaze fell. "Blake never talked much about her mom, I knew they didn't get along but not why..."

"Those can be very complicated issues..." Winter sighed, gaze falling as well. "I understand those very well..."

"I don't..." The crimsonette admitted. "Mom and I have always been close, she taught me everything I know... Kali seems so much like her so far."

"Then she must be a remarkable woman." The older woman praised.

Ruby smiled. "Yeah... she really is..." Thinking back, she remembered her mom teaching her how to bake her favourite cookies... all because Ruby wanted to make them herself for Yang when she was sick. Dozens of failures and fire alarm set-offs later she finally made a batch that wasn't burnt. Yang insisted she would've eaten the burnt ones, but Ruby still wanted to make her a good batch. She also thought about how when she got into sports, her mom did every thing she could to help her. She woke up earlier in the morning to run with Ruby, she helped her train, she drove her to games, she hosted team parties... she did so much that Ruby could never repay her for. Summer Rose, _super mom_.

"If I may, can I ask one thing of you Ruby?" Winter asked, interrupting Ruby's reminiscing.

"Of course, anything!" The crimsonette beamed.

Frosty blue eyes met silver ones as Winter spoke. "Just... be good to Weiss... make her happy..."

Ruby kept her eyes locked with the older woman's. "I will Winter, I promise."

 

* * *

  
After Winter finished her talk with Ruby and Kali returned from the university, the group decided to order in for dinner, as none of them were really in the mood to go out. Once they had eaten, Kali helped Winter clean up while Weiss retrieved blankets and pillows for Ilia and Kali. It was arranged for the pair to sleep on the couches, while Ruby slept with Weiss in her bed. The crimsonette promised the ivory-haired woman over and over again that she and Weiss wouldn't _do_ anything, but Winter assured her she trusted that they won't.

And so the morning came. Winter dragged herself out of bed and downed a couple painkillers before heading to the bathroom to relieve herself. She was about to leave her room when she realized there were other people in the house. For the past few months it had just been her in the apartment, so Winter had no issue staying in her pyjamas. Sighing, she dug through her closet, eventually finding something acceptable; a light blue tank top, a grey cardigan, and a pair of white jeans. As she opened the door to leave her room, she was immediately met with a delicious scent. Following her nose, Winter found herself in the kitchen, where Kali was cooking something that smelled divine.

"What is all this?" Winter asked as she entered the kitchen, astonished at everything the raven-haired woman had been making.

"Oh, good morning Winter." Kali beamed. "I noticed your cooking supplies were looking a little sparse, so I went out and picked up a few things."

"A _few_ things?" The younger woman marveled. Eggs, bacon, french toast, pancakes, waffles... "Wait, I don't own a waffle iron."

"Happy birthday!" The older woman beamed.

"My birthday isn't even close to now." Winter laughed. "But Kali, this is enough to feed multiple families!"

Kali chuckled. "Well there _are_ five of us. Plus I thought it would be nice to have some leftovers, as I remember you mentioned you weren't the best cook last night."

Winter blinked. "Oh, thank you Kali. You're very generous."

"It's no problem at all!" The feline Faunus smiled. "I actually miss making large meals."

The ivory-haired woman took another whiff of the food. "Well I can't wait to have some."

Once the food was ready, Kali filled up a couple plates and took them to the table. She motioned for Winter to sit down as she poured her a cup of coffee, as well as a cup of tea for herself. They mostly ate in silence, as they were too busy enjoying the food. Once Winter was finished, she noticed Kali was already done, and she was staring over at Ilia, who was still asleep on the couch.

"If I may, how did you two become a couple?" Winter asked, causing Kali to shift her gaze to the other woman.

"It was quite some time ago... After my divorce life became... lonely." Kali's ears dipped, a look of sadness flickering across her face. "Blake did not take it well, and so I was left reliant on what few friends I retained. Sienna being the best of them."

"Ilia said Sienna was her adopted mother didn't she?" Winter inquired.

Kali nodded. "Indeed, Sienna adopted Ilia when she was a child, left orphaned by a... very unfortunate mining accident."

Winter looked over at Ilia's sleeping form. "That must have been hard for her..."

The raven-haired woman sighed. "It truly was... Sienna never planned on having children, but she gave her a good home, a second chance at a normal life. She and Blake became close immediately."

"I'm glad Sienna could be there for her." Winter smiled. "So how did this lead to you two?"

"Well... in my time of need Sienna was there for me, and even more so was Ilia." Kali explained. "She visited often, filling the void my husband and daughter left... Eventually she... confessed the extent of her admiration, and I found myself unable to resist."

"So... you didn't have any problem with the... _substantial_ age difference?" Winter questioned, causing Kali's gaze to drop slightly.

"Of course I did, and still do." The older woman admitted. "It's why we generally keep our relationship secretive."

"I see... What do the girls think of it?" Winter asked.

Kali hesitated. "Ruby and Weiss seem supportive... of surprises."

"Have you... not told them?" The ivory-haired woman wondered.

The feline Faunus shook her head. "Ilia is rather shy, we go at her pace."

Winter recalled the prior day, Ilia was the one who disclosed their relationship. "I understand, but what about Sienna?"

Kali raised a brow. "What about her?"

"How did she feel about the relationship?" Winter inquired.

"She was, and still is supportive." Kali answered with a smile. "Sienna is a very liberated individual Winter, keep this in mind as you spend time with her. The social barriers you are comfortable living with mean very little to her."

Winter knit her eyebrows. "So... what does that mean? What exactly should I expect?"

"More of what you have already experienced, and then some." The raven-haired woman explained. "Sienna is a very accomplished flirt, and a voracious lover. I would know. She was my first."

Winter felt her face heat up. "Oh... um... is there anything I should be weary of?"

Kali smirked, a look that made her look surprisingly similar to Sienna. "She adores making people squirm."

Winter blinked. "And... what does that... usually entail?" She asked, slightly nervous of what Kali's answer might be.

"Now now Winter." Kali chuckled. "I wont spoil all her fun, just...relax, Sienna will take good care of you."

Winter sighed. "That doesn't exactly instill confidence..."

"Confidence is for teenagers Winter, let go of that instinct, be nervous, be jittery, treat it casually, and have fun. Just because there is an ulterior purpose does not mean you cant enjoy your date." The older woman smiled.

"I only agreed to this so I could talk to Yang about what happened..." Winter sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"And you will." Kali ensured. "But in the meantime, and afterwards you should try to relax, you deserve it."

"And what of you, what will happen while I'm gone?" Winter inquired, raising a brow.

"Well I plan to begin to teach Ruby and Weiss the basics of a proper domme and sub relationship." The raven-haired woman explained. "As well as learning any preferences they have so they are as comfortable as possible."

"I very much cannot picture Ruby in a dominant position, of any kind..." The ivory-haired woman admitted. "She's so short and... _bright_."

Kali chuckled. "Well their relationship won't be dependent on one being dominant over the other. Ruby is there to ensure Weiss is taken care of, and not just in the sexual setting."

"Alright, alright I don't want to think about that..." Winter groaned.

"Well you did ask Winter." Kali laughed.

Winter sighed. "And I mostly regret it..."

While Kali ponders whether to teaser her more, a few firm knocks are heard. "Well, looks like your date is here Winter."

The ivory haired woman grimaced. "Oh gods help me."

Kali put a hand on Winter's shoulder. "Breathe, you'll be fine. Sienna won't bite..." Then she smirked. "Unless you want her too..."

"Ugh, you're terrible." The younger woman groaned.

The feline Faunus laughed. "I'm just teasing Winter. Now, are you going to keep your beautiful date waiting?"

"I'm tempted to." Winter grumbled.

"I guess I'll get the door then." Kali began as she stood up to answer the door.

"No, no I can get it." Winter sighed, picking up her cane and standing. Slowly making her way to the door, she opened it to finds Sienna, clad in some very different attire than the previous day. Her white blouse was low cut and loose enough for Winter to see her bra, which must have been intentional given the smirk Sienna had when she noticed Winter looking. On the contrary, the pair of black jeans she wore were rather... _tight_ , accentuating her curvy figure.

"Hello gorgeous." Sienna grinned. "Like what you see?"

"Good morning Sienna, are you ready to go?" Winter deadpanned, ignoring the other woman's teasing question.

"I'm ready when you are." Sienna purred, in a much too alluring tone.

Winter sighed, turning back to Kali. "I'll see you when I see you I suppose, say good morning to the girls for me."

Kali smiled. "I will, have fun on your date you two!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a lot of dialogue.
> 
> Are you excited for the date? Let me know!
> 
> As always, your feedback fuels me!


	7. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell me, have you ever heard of pet play?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, I'm a little late on this one... but it's long! So that makes up for it! ... right?

There were few times Weiss could say she awoke so comfortable. The pillows beneath her head were warm, soft and tender, like firm clouds. She could not resist nuzzling further within, savoring the bliss they offered. She reached upward to adjust one, but her fingers sunk into... something far firmer than she expected. Pillows did not have a stiff peak beneath their case, nor did they giggle. Shooting up she found herself staring down into sleepy silver eyes, as Ruby smirked up at her.

"Comfy?" The crimsonette snickered.

Feeling her face heat up, Weiss moved off her friend. "I'm sorry..." She mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"Weiss, it's ok." Ruby assured, grabbing her friend's hand. "Remember what Kali said? Intimacy is a good thing."

The heiress blinked. Ruby was right. She shouldn't be _embarrassed_ by the fact that she was snuggling up to her best friend. Okay, maybe _slightly_ embarrassed by _what_ she was snuggling up to, but not the act itself. "Do you mind if we... cuddle some more?" Weiss quietly asked. Ruby simply smiled and opened her arms. The heiress smiled back before lying back down, snuggling up to Ruby and nuzzling her head into her neck. As she laid there, she couldn't help but feel... _conflicted_ over her position. It felt... _strange_... but in a good way. "I like this..." Weiss mumbled.

"I do too." Ruby whispered as her embrace firmed.

"It's warm and comfortable, and it makes me feel... _safe_..." The ivory-haired girl hummed.

"You'll always be safe with me Weiss." Ruby promised.

"I know, but I appreciate you saying so." Weiss grinned, before tilting her head up to kiss Ruby's jaw. The crimsonette giggled in response, leaning down to kiss Weiss on the forehead. It wasn't long before they were both laughing, still wrapped in each other's arms. The two stayed there for a time, just enjoying each other's warmth, until Ruby spoke up.

"I smell breakfast." The crimsonette breathed.

Weiss took a whiff of her own and understood what Ruby was talking about. Whatever was being cooked smelled _delicious_. "Would you like to go see what's being made?"

"Yes please!" Ruby burst.

The heiress chuckled. "Then let's go." Lifting herself up off of her friend, she crawled out of the bed, Ruby quickly following. As Weiss opened the door, the fresh smell only grew. Making their way to the kitchen, they found Kali over the sink, cleaning some dishes.

"Wow." Ruby marveled. Piled on the countertop was enough food to feed an army. Scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles, sausages, french toast, pancakes... it made Ruby drool just looking at it.

Upon hearing her voice, Kali turned to fine Ruby and Weiss standing at the edge of the kitchen, gawking at the food she prepared. "Good morning girls!" She beamed. "Are you hungry?" To which the crimsonette nodded furiously.

"Kali, this is all looks... _incredible_..." Weiss complimented.

The older woman smiled. "Why thank you! So, what would you like?" She asked, gesturing to the various foods on the counter.

"One of everything!" Ruby instantly and quite excitedly responded.

"I can do that." Kali chuckled. "And you Weiss?"

The heiress thought for a moment. She was hungry, but also didn't want to stuff her face since Ruby was here... even though the other girl was doing to do _exactly_ that. She had to watch her figure after all. "Scrambled eggs, a couple sausages and a waffle please."

"Coming right up!" Kali bubbled. "Why don't you girls take a seat, and I'll get your food."

"Thank you very much Kali." The ivory-haired girl smiled.

After receiving a small nudge from her friend, Ruby piped up as well. "Thanks!" She chirped as the two girls made their way to the kitchen table. Before Weiss reached for a chair, Ruby stopped her. "Wait!"

Weiss froze. "What?!"

"Allow me." Ruby grinned as she pulled out a chair for her friend, gesturing for her to sit.

Weiss giggled as she sat down. "Why thank you Ruby."

"You're most welcome Weiss." Ruby bowed as she took her own seat.

Not soon after they sat down, Kali brought them their breakfast. As Weiss began to eat, she couldn't help but chuckle at how fast Ruby was hoovering down her food. To be completely honest it was rather cute. Once they were finished, Kali came to collect their plates.

"Do you want some help?" Ruby offered.

Kali smiled. "That would be wonderful Ruby, thank you."

"I can help too." Weiss added.

"It is quite alright Weiss." Kali assured. "I would like to speak with Ruby afterwards anyway."

"Oh, okay." The ivory-haired girl mumbled.

"Think of it this way, you can just relax now!" Ruby encouraged. To which she received a smile before the other girl stood from her chair, thanked her, and headed into the living area.

"Morning Weiss." Came Ilia's voice as the heiress plopped herself down on the couch across from the tv. "You a fan of documentaries?"

"Good morning Ilia." Weiss greeted. "And yes, I am. What is this one about?"

Ilia opened her mouth to reply, but paused briefly, turning a shade darker. "Uh, reptiles..."

Weiss simply smiled. "That sounds interesting."

While Ruby took her own plate, Kali took Weiss', and the two women made their way into the kitchen. The older woman elected to wash the the dishes while Ruby dried and put them away. Once they were done, the crimsonette turned to Kali. "So... you wanted to talk to me?"

The raven-haired woman nodded. "Yes, but I think it would be better if we spoke alone."

"Uh, sure!" Ruby exclaimed. "Maybe we can talk in Weiss' room?"

"That would work." Kali agreed. Leading the way, Kali exited the kitchen to head towards the heiress' room.

As Ruby followed, she stopped at the living area and turned to her friend, who was on the couch flipping through the television channels. "Hey Weiss, do you mind if Kali and I use your room?"

"Go ahead." Weiss nodded.

"Thanks!" The crimsonette smiled as she turned to follow Kali into the heiress' bedroom. The older woman turned on the light before closing the door. Taking a seat on Weiss' bed, Kali gesturing for Ruby next to her.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Ruby wondered as she sat next to the raven-haired woman.

"I just have a few questions for you." Kali informed. "For future reference during your lessons with Weiss."

"Oh, okay." Ruby nodded. "So what do you want to know?"

"To start, do you have any experience taking care of people?" Kali asked.

Ruby thought for a moment. She hasn't really ever taken care of any _people_... "Well when I was younger my mom bought me a puppy..." She smiled. "We named him Zwei... and I raised him until I went to university... Does that count?"

"Hm... that could work..." Kali hummed.

"That could... work?" Ruby echoed, a puzzles look on her face.

"I was trying to think of some way I can make it easier for you to get comfortable in the dominating role..." The older woman clarified. "Tell me, have you ever heard of pet play?"

"Uh... I feel like I've heard of it... but I don't know anything about it." Ruby admitted.

"At its core pet play is as it sounds, playing with the role of a pet." Kali explained. "A master owns their pet, takes care of them, grooms them, feeds them, teaches them tricks, rewards and praises them for being successful... Pet play translates all of this to a BDSM setting, human interactions."

“What kinds of things does mean for Weiss and I?” Ruby wondered.

"Well it means a lot of things." The raven-haired woman continued. "During sessions, and perhaps other private moments, Weiss assumes a subservient role in which she belongs to you. It gives a focus to your praise, a direction for your play, and a theme, one of the most popular aspects however is costume, because pet play is simple to cater too."

The crimsonette blinked. “So... she might dress up like a dog?”

Kali shrugged. "Or a bunny, or a bear, and lions have been making a comeback as of late."

Ruby slowly nodded. “Okay... but what sorts of things might Weiss and I... _do_?"

"For now? Light play, very light, simple praise and body worship." Kali answered. "Words are very powerful, they create and reinforce the roles, something so simple as a good girl can be as stimulating as any physical contact, and enhance it even more so."

"What do you mean by _body worship_?" Ruby inquired.

"Excessive admiration and stimulation of the body... to put it mildly." The older woman clarified.

Ruby mulled over the information she's been given. "So like... telling her how beautiful her hair is, then petting it?"

"You're on the right track, especially the petting." Kali nodded. "The body is a beautiful thing, simple gazing upon it is a great privilege, touching it is an even greater right, and must be treated as such."

"Gazing and touching should be treated as a... _privilege_?" Ruby echoed.

"The body is a temple Ruby Rose, a place of divine greatness, it should be treated with reverence." Kali explained.

"But what does that _mean_?" Ruby puzzled. "What am I supposed to _do_?"

Placing a hand on the crimsonette's shoulder, Kali spoke. "Make her feel loved Ruby, with your words, your hands and your lips, make her feel like the most beautiful girl in this world, from the tips of her toes to the hairs on her head. All of her is beautiful, all of her is precious, and it is your purpose to make this known."

"So I need to... praise her?" Ruby guessed.

"Yes Ruby." Kali chuckled. "You need to praise her."

The younger girl nodded. "Okay... I think I can do that..."

"Remain aware of your comfort zones Ruby, do as you feel, and do not be afraid to ask for guidance." The raven-haired woman encouraged. "Express yourself, be open and honest with her, remember this is a journey you take together, as dear friends exploring and broadening their desires."

Ruby smiled. "Thanks Kali."

 

* * *

 

 

Not that the documentary wasn't interesting, or she didn't want to be with Ilia... she just didn't want to watch tv. She wanted to be with Ruby. She wanted to know what would happen, what _could_ happen, in their current situation. Picturing things, it was strange, confusing and... _arousing_. Weiss liked Ruby, loved her as a friend, and knew much more could come of that, but... being faced with that now... it made her head all fuzzy.

"Weiss? _Weiss_?" The voice of Ilia softly asked, snapping her out of thought. Weiss hadn't even noticed the other girl staring at her. "Are you ok?"

"Uh, yea, just... thinking." Weiss shook her head, turning to smile at Ilia. They had never really been more than passing aquaintences, but Ilia had always been relatively kind to Weiss, and her company was... peaceful.

"About what?" Ilia asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

The ivory-haired girl sighed. "Just... Ruby and I. Who we are, who we were... who we might be, to each other."

"You wanna... talk about it? Ilia offered.

"Uh... sure..." Weiss agreed. "It's just... I really like Ruby, I appreciate her friendship, I always have... though maybe not so much early on."

"And I'm guessing you're not too sure about this new relationship you're in?" The brunette wondered.

"It... it attracts me, _Ruby_ attracts me, but I never gave her second thought in the past... and then Ruby came to me and... and made good on all her promises and vows... She always said she would be the best friend ever." Weiss smiled shakily. "I didn't think she'd go so far..."

"So you feel like you don't deserve it?" Ilia guessed.

"I'm not sure what I feel." Weiss admitted. "I want it, I want _her_ , and it's so strange to want Ruby in such a way... it was so strange of me to want _anyone_ in such a way... but there I was... in Ruby's arms, laughing, I was happy... I'm happy."

Ilia took a breath. "I understand what that's like. I had a similar situation with... a previous girlfriend. I knew what my feelings were, I knew she made me happy... but I was still not sure if I _should_ feel that way."

"I feel guilty, wanting what I want, with how innocent and pure Ruby is... how did you handle it?" Weiss inquired.

"I just... accepted my feelings." Ilia answered. "I knew what I wanted, so I confessed to her and she... accepted me." She smiled at the memory. "You should never feel guilty for wanting someone, so just... tell her how you feel."

Weiss blinked. "Was it easy for you? To just take what you wanted?"

The brunette shook her head. "Initially, no. It took a lot of effort to build up to courage to tell her how I felt, but once I had, it was... _freeing_. It's all about taking the first step Weiss. Once that's done, the hard part is over."

"And after?" Weiss added.

"After I confessed, and she accepted, I felt like I could tell her anything." Ilia continued. "I could tell her all my wants and desires... and she'd accept them."

"Nothing bad ever came of it?" The ivory-haired girl asked. "Where there no... no difficulties at all?"

"Well of course there are difficulties, we couldn't agree on _everything_." Ilia clarified. "It's not always about each person getting everything they want, sometimes you gotta meet in the middle."

The heiress slowly nodded. "I see... Ruby and I... we have our difficulties, our stresses, but... Ruby never gave up on me, never gave up on _us_."

"And that's completely normal Weiss." Ilia assured. "Just because you have those difficulties, doesn't mean it won't work. I bet you two are much more compatible than... that other girl and I."

"I cannot comment on your own relationship Ilia... but you seem a good sort, a kind sort... I wish we had known each other better before now." Weiss smiled.

Ilia returned the smile. "Me too."

"Thank you Ilia, I appreciate your encouragement, and your company." The heiress bowed her head.

"Don't mention it." Ilia shrugged.

Seeing as their conversation was over, the two girls went back to watching the documentary. A few minutes go by before Kali and Ruby emerge from the hallway. As the two entered the living area, Kali looked over at Weiss with a smile. "Whenever you two would like, I believe we are ready to begin the first lesson."

"I see..." Frosty blue eyes met silver as Weiss turned her gaze to her friend. "Are you ready, Ruby?"

"As long as you are." Ruby nodded.

Kali grinned. "Then let us begin."

 

* * *

 

Things were quiet on the way to the elevator. Sienna led with a spring in her step, but still walked slow enough so Winter could keep up with her limp. As the two women entered the elevator, Sienna pressed the button for the lobby, and the metal doors closed before they descended.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Winter questioned as she leaned up against the rear wall to take the weight off of her leg.

"Oh I have _quite_ the fun day planned for us." Sienna grinned.

Winter narrowed her eyes. "What kind of _fun day_? I told you I'm only here to talk to Yang."

"And you will." Sienna assured. "We're meeting her for lunch in a couple hours. In the meantime, I thought we could go to the farmer's market."

The ivory-haired woman huffed. "I don't see why we could have just met up with her _then_."

"Well you seem like you're under a lot of stress Winter." Sienna observed. "So I thought you could use some nice time out."

"Don't make assumptions about people you don't know." Winter grimaced before the elevator chimed and the metal doors slid opened.

The dark-skinned woman stepped off first, turning to smile as she lead the way into the lobby. "Well what better time do we have to get to know each other?" She was met with an unimpressed glare.

"Let's just go." Winter muttered as she followed Sienna into the lobby. Greeting Klein as they passed, the two women made their way outside to Sienna's car. Upon laying eyes on it, Winter couldn't help but marvel. It was a high end, flashy four-door that looked like it would cost a year of her salary. The bright red was suitably attention drawing.

"Like what you see?" Sienna smirked.

Winter just sighed as she started to slowly hobble over to the passenger's side door. Before she could grab the handle, Sienna's hand grabbed it first.

"Allow me." The older woman grinned as she pulled open the door for Winter, motioning for her to get in.

"Thank you." Winter begrudgingly nodded before stepping into the car.

"You're very welcome." Sienna purred before closing the door and making her way over to the driver's side.

As she sat down, the ivory-haired woman inspected the interior of the vehicle. The first thing she noticed was how... _comfortable_ it was. The black leather seats were soft... soft enough that Winter felt like she could fall asleep on the one she was sitting in. And the smell... something about it was... _off-putting_. She couldn't describe it, but it made her uncomfortable because of how... _comforting_ it was. Winter quickly shook away the thought as Sienna opened the driver's side door and got in.

"Ready to go?" Sienna asked as she buckled her seatbelt. She received a nod as the other woman buckled her own. With that she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

A few minutes into the drive and Winter couldn't cease her curiosity. "What is that smell?"

Sienna chuckled. "I was wondering when you would ask about that. It's incense."

Winter quirked a brow. "Incense? In your car?"

"That's right." Sienna nodded. "I like to have it smell just like my home. Call it... _marking my territory_."

"I see..." If Winter remembered correctly, marking one's territory is a common Faunus ritual. "But... what exactly _is_ this smell?"

"There's a berry that grows only on Menagerie, deep within its forests." Sienna explained. "When I earned my stripes, I was challenged to gather them, nothing but a knife, a bag, and the clothes on my back to survive with. They were used to make many things, incense, massage oil, tattoo ink..."

The younger woman blinked. "Earned your stripes?"

"I wasn't born with them you know, though you probably didn't." Sienna laughed.

"No I did not." Winter shook her head. "I apologize if that comes off as insensitive."

"Ignorance is to be expected of humanity Winter, it used to anger me, I've learned better." The dark-skinned woman declared.

Winter sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be expected..."

"Don't we all." Sienna chuckled. "But what better way to sway the world than education, and I do so love documentaries."

The ivory-haired woman blinked before turning to the other woman. "You... like documentaries?"

"I adore them, they were one of my few respites as a child." Sienna grinned.

Winter hesitated. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be friendly with this woman. But at the same time, it was better than purposefully being hostile. "I like them too."

"Any preferred subjects?" Sienna inquired.

"History." Winter replied.

"Ah, a scholar I see." Sienna admired. "I personally prefer religion, annoyed the hell out of Ilia but... the Maidens and their followers are fascinating."

"My family was never very... religiously inclined..." Winter admitted.

"Hmm, I bet daddy dearest _despised_ the idea of a higher power than yours truly." The older woman guessed.

"With his ego being as high as it was, I wouldn't be surprised it that were the reason." Winter scoffed.

Sienna laughed. "And how about you, is there room for a higher power in your life?"

The younger woman siged. "I've never really thought about it."

"A smarter answer than most would give credit." Sienna praised. "Even if religion itself does not appeal to you, the Maidens devout are wonderful people, in all their forms." She smiled fondly.

"Well, I'll... do some research when when I have some time..." Winter commented.

"Personally I recommend the Cult of Spring, lovely, adoring people, fertility worshippers." Sienna chuckled. "Nudists a plenty however, I suggest not searching for them at work."

"I'll keep that in mind." Winter noted.

"Although it would be ironic if the Church of Summer received Winter into their flock." Sienna joked

Winter rolled her eyes. " _Very_."

A few minutes go by in silence, so Sienna takes that as a sign that their conversation is over. Turning on the stereo system, she navigated through her CDs. She didn't exactly know what kind of music Winter liked, so she just picked something random. What came on was... smooth jazz.

Winter scoffed. "This is the barest attempt at seduction I have ever endured."

"Oh I have not even _begun_ to attempt Winter." Sienna winked.

Another few minutes go by, the only sounds present being the hum of the car's engine and music. Then out of nowhere, Winter starts laughing.

"Something on your mind?" Sienna wondered.

"I just realized how insane I've become." Winter laughed. "Letting a strange woman alone into my home to teach my sister how to be a glorified _sex slave_."

The other woman sighed. “Weiss is not a sex slave Winter. I told you this before, she is a _submissive_.”

Winter huffed. "Well excuse me for not caring for semantics Sienna, but the idea of my sister debasing herself just doesn't seem healthy to me."

"She does not _debase herself_ , she simply lets go of control." Sienna clarified.

"That still doesn't sound healthy to me." Winter commented.

"Winter, what is the core pillar of a relationship, in your opinion?" The older woman inquired.

That wasn't even a question. "Equality." Winter stated.

Sienna smiled widely at Winter, who found herself taken off guard. It was not often people smiled at her, at least not so genuinely. "True, and equality requires what?"

Again, not even a question. "Consent."

"And consent requires trust." Sienna added.

Winter knit her eyebrows. "I agree, but what is your point?"

"Sexual slavery is the absence of all those things Winter, you cannot trust without consent, you cannot consent without equality." Sienna explained. "Do you think Ruby would _enslave_ your sister?"

The ivory-haired woman opened her mouth to respond. "I... no..."

"Do you think Ruby would _abuse_ your sister?" Sienna questioned.

Winter's gaze dropped. "No..."

"I do not mean to put you down Winter, but you really must have more faith in others." Sienna consoled.

"It's alright, I just... I still don't understand..." Winter sighed.

"Think of it like a trust fall, you place your safety into the hands of another, because you _trust_ them to catch you." Sienna described.

" _A trust fall_..." Winter echoed.

Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever experienced one?" To which Winter shook her head. "Well the idea is simple, an individual allows themselves to fall backward, trusting their companion to catch them."

"I see... so the... submissive is the one who falls into the... dominant's arms?" The younger woman wondered.

Sienna nodded. "Exactly, the submissive trusts their dominant to keep them safe, to treat them with care, and the dominant cherishes this trust, there is no greater gift."

Winter thought for a moment. "I think I understand..."

Sienna smiled. "Good, understanding is important for the times to come."

Winter quirked a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Not to be a downer, but this Yang claimed responsibility for the abuse, which could mean any number of things." Sienna informed.

_Any number of things?_ "Like what?"

"Perhaps she was not properly educated, perhaps her tastes were far more than most would tolerate, perhaps Blake is as much a victim as Weiss, or perhaps they were both victims of their own ignorance." The dark-skinned woman suggested. "BDSM is a beautiful thing Winter, but it is so easily open to abuse, purposeful and accidental."

"Have you ever seen any issues like this before?" Winter asked. "Is Weiss going to be ok?"

"Several times a year I meet with or correspond with couples and individuals who take missteps, most of the time they are simply poorly informed, floundering at ideas with little regard for the finer points. Most of the time simple education is enough to improve things... but then there are people who simply have different tastes, different preferences, greater or lesser tolerances..." Sienna explained as she slowed to a stop for a red light. She then turned to the other woman and smiled. "I think Weiss will be fine, if she's anything like her sister, she's a tough girl."

The younger woman looked out the window to hide her slight blush. "Oh, um, thank you..."

"You are very welcome." Sienna grinned as the light turned green. "Trust in Kali, Winter, there are few greater woman in this world, your sister is in capable hands."

Winter took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll try."

Their next turn revealed their destination. "Ooh looks like a big turnout this week." Sienna observed. Winter looked out the window to find the sight of Vale Park passing by, packed to the brim with people and tents.

The Farmers Markets.

"Wow..." Winter marveled.

"Never been I take it?" Sienna wondered.

Winter shook her head. "I never really had the time... work is rather busy..."

"Well you're here now." The older woman smiled as she pulled into the parking lot. Eventually finding them a space, she shifted into park. After the two women undid their seatbelts, Winter reached for her door when Sienna laid a hand on her shoulder. "Ah ah, leave that to me, _my dear_."

"Really, _this_ is your plan?" Winter deadpanned.

Sienna chuckled. "Are you against being treated like a lady?"

"My father expected me to be a _lady_ , I chose to be a _woman_." Winter declared.

"That's fair, but what about being treated like a _queen_?" Sienna grinned.

"Now you're trying too hard." Winter scoffed, turning away to hide her smile.

"Like a queen it is." Sienna purred. "Now wait here just a moment." Stepping out onto the pavement, she made her way around the car before opening Winter's door for her.

"Please tell me the entire day won't be li-ike!" Winter yelped as she placed weight upon her injured leg. Opening her eyes, she expected to be on the ground, but when she looked up she was in Sienna's arms.

"Are you alright?" Sienna asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm fine!" Winter growled, reaching up to latch onto the car door with one hand and laying the other on Sienna's chest, gritting her teeth.

"Winter, it's alright to rely on people sometimes." Sienna comforted. "You don't always have to be strong alone."

"Sienna..." Winter sighed. "I am  _fine_."

"Are you sure? You may lean on me if you wish." Sienna offered.

' _Sienna_!" Winter yanked herself free of the Faunus' grip. "I have been taking care of myself for two years, I can manage a simple walk in the park."

"I realize you can take care of yourself, I am still offering my help." Sienna insisted. "I _want_ to help you."

"Then for the time being I am refusing your help." Winter straightened herself, tapping her cane for emphasis.

"Okay. But just remember, if you want it, I'm here." Sienna softly reminded.

"I will keep that in mind." Winter mumbled, walking away. Sienna rolled her eyes as she shut the door.

The market was in the main area of Vale Park. Dozens of stalls of various colours, makes and contents formed a rough ring around the clearing. Hundreds of people, humans and Faunus alike, were there from all over Vale to browse. Starting at one end, the two women made their way down the line of stalls. There were fresh fruits and vegetables, fudge, various baked goods, taffy, and a diverse selection of confectionery goods. During their walk, Sienna picked up some honey for Kali, as she likes the market bought stuff rather than store bought. Winter also bought some sugar cookies for the girls.

Eventually they arrived at a rather different stall. Instead of food, they sold various clothing items and accessories. Blouses, dress shirts, gloves, scarves, ties, even hair scrunchies, all in a wide assortment of colours. The woman behind the table was slender, almost delicate. She had grey-blue hair, as well as grey eyes, which matched the grey veins covering her arms, indicating that she was a Faunus. Upon seeing Sienna, she smiled.

"Hello Trifa, it is nice to see you." Sienna greeted, a returning smile on her face.

"Sienna, dearest." Trifa grinned, pointed teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "It has been far too long." The Faunus walked around the table and embraced Sienna, planting a kiss upon her cheek.

The raven-haired woman released her friend. "It really has. Winter this is Trifa, Trifa this is Winter, my date." She smirked as she gestured to the woman in question.

"Oh, a _human_ this time, how quaint." Trifa observed, grin still on her face.

Sienna chuckled "She is quite the interesting one."

"This time?" Winter arched her brow.

Sienna nodded. "I am a frequenter here, sometimes with dates, usually other Faunus, but sometimes alone."

"I feel _so special_." Winter deadpanned, Sienna laughed.

"What makes you special is I asked you, is my order ready Trifa?" Sienna inquired.

"Oh yeah, it is." Trifa confirmed before she walked behind the stall and started searching through her inventory.

"Your order?" Winter wondered.

Sienna nodded. "I am very particular about my wardrobe, until I discovered Trifa's craft nothing truly felt _right_. You should browse, they're really quite beautiful, hand woven."

" _Hand woven_?" Taking a look through some of the merchandise, Winter saw it was indeed of high quality. "These are very impressive."

"Time consuming and exhausting, expensive, but worth every single lien." Sienna admired, pulling a silver scarf from a hanger, the material softly glimmering. "This one will suit you well."

Winter observed the piece. "You really think so?"

"I believe so." Sienna stated, beckoning Winter closer, Winter rolled her eyes, obliging. Sienna gently wraps around Winter's neck, then steps back to observe.

"So? How does it look?" Winter asked.

" _Beautiful_." Sienna breathed, picking up a small mirror from the nearby stand. The scarf was not overly large, clearly not meant for an Atlesian winter, but the silver cloth drew heat from her body well, and felt weightless upon her skin, impossibly soft, and indeed, quite beautiful, simple, with tasseled ends. Sienna chose well.

"Hm, I suppose it does suit me..." Winter acknowledged before turning to Trifa. "How much will this cost?"

"Sixty lien." Trifa shrugged, handing a plastic bag filled with various items to Sienna. "Unless you want it added to your order?"

Sienna smiled at Winter. "I think I will."

"Uh... thank you?" Winter stammered in surprise, both at the price and Sienna's purchase. "This is a generous gift."

"It is no problem at all. Call it a... sign of friendship." Sienna purred.

"Thank you Sienna... I will." Winter murmured, running her fingers through the fabric.

"Your seduction techniques never cease to amaze me Sienna." Triffa cooed, to which Winter huffed, levelling a displeasured glare at the Faunus, who grinned cheekily.

Sienna chuckled. "Don't worry, she's just joking Winter." The ivory-haired woman just shifted her unamused gaze to her.

"I think I'm ready to go now." Winter grumbled.

Looking down at her watch, Sienna realized what time it was. "Well I think it is about time we go anyways, as we are supposed to meet up with Yang soon."

"Thank the gods." Winter sighed. "It was nice to meet you Trifa." She quickly bowed her head before slowly walking off toward the parking lot.

"It really is a fine work of art." Sienna grinned as she watched Winter walk away.

Trifa raised a brow. "The scarf, or the human?"

Sienna merely grinned.

After bidding farewell to Trifa and catching up to Winter, the two women made their way to Sienna's car. The drive was a short one, as they were only going a few blocks East towards the university. Pulling into the parking lot of a plaza, Sienna pointed out their destination, a sizable Valean cafe. After she found them a parking spot, and the pair stepped out of the car, Winter took a moment to admire the building. Relatively modern, the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods wafted out of its entrance, new looking chairs and tables dotted the front, surrounded by black barriers emblazoned with the establishment name.

**Violetta's**

As the two women made their way inside to find a seat, Winter spoke up for the first time since the park. "When will Yang be arriving?" She inquired.

Sienna checked her watch. "She should be here very soon, I told her 12:30." She informed as Winter settled into a booth. "Would you like some coffee while we wait?"

"Oh, uh, sure. Thank you Sienna." Winter answered before reaching for her wallet.

"Don't worry about paying dear. I know I already bought you something, but this is just coffee." Sienna assured. "Is there any type you prefer?

Putting away her wallet, Winter nodded. "Thank you... and just with cream and one sugar please."

"Coming right up." The raven-haired woman smiled before walking off towards the counter to order.

As she waited, Winter monitored the entrance, waiting for the telltale mop of curly blonde hair she was vaguely familiar with, yet would never truly forget. A dozen people passed her line of sight, and not a single glimpse was seen. Deciding that she'll just wait normally, Winter shifted her gaze around the room, eventually landing on Sienna. As infuriating as it wasd to admit... she was rather alluring, a conflicting admittance that brought forth many confusing questions. Winter was no stranger to a womans touch, but she had never been willingly courted before. Let alone by a Faunus. Her father would have had a fit, indeed if it were to become public he may have still done so.

A feline Faunus for sure, Winter observed the woman as she ordered, her gaze trailing from her ears downward. The tattoos upon her skin had once confused her, Faunus traits were rarely so consistent, and as far as she knew limited to a single aspect. A tiger Faunus with tiger stripes seemed incredibly cliche, but then again she was raised in a bigoted household.

And enrolled in an equally bigoted military.

It really was a miracle she turned out as reasonable as she had.

As if sensing Winter's gaze Sienna turned to meet it, giving her a sly grin. Winter turned away in shame, a familiar burn in her cheeks. Just in time to meet a newcomer standing before her booth. Familiar, yet different, the blondes hair was frizzy, in stark contrast to its usual wild but silky state, and her once vibrant lilac eyes seemed dull, absent of the cheer she once remembered.

It seemed recent events had been equally taxing for Yang Xiao Long, who plastered on a nervous smile.

"Hi Winter..."

 

* * *

 

On the cusp of her first lesson with Ruby, Weiss was dying with anticipation. Though still a tad conflicting, it excited her. She resisted the urge to fidget in her place beside Ruby on the couch. Her friend seemed to feel similarly, her fingers sliding over Weiss' as Kali finished putting away the breakfast leftovers. Eventually the elder woman entered the living area, and took a seat on the nearby armchair.

"Are you two ready?" Kali asked with a smile. She received two anxious nods. "Then let us begin with the fundamentals of BDSM."

Ruby cocked her head to the side. "But didn't you already explain that to us?"

The older woman nodded. "Yes, but a fair amount was said yesterday, so I would like to reiterate the important parts."

"Oh, okay!" Ruby chirped.

"So, the first and most important part of a relationship is equality." Kali explained. "Contrary to the way they sound, the domme is _not_ above the sub. If that is not clear from the start, then the relationship is doomed to fail. Do you understand."

Both girls firmly nodded.

"Good. The next thing is the establishment of a safe word." Kali continued. "To put it simply, a safe word is a word, or series of words, that is used, usually doing intimacy, when one partner wishes to stop. It allows for the situation where one says they want to stop when they do not actually mean it, taking away any possibility of a misunderstanding." As soon as she was finished speaking, Ruby's hand shot up. Kali chuckled. "Yes Ruby?"

"Can a safe word be _anything_?" Ruby wondered.

The older woman chuckled again. "Yes Ruby, safe words can be anything. I for one have used things like blackout, gemstone, port, and thorns."

Ruby's face suddenly scrunched up. "Aw, ew... I had a professor named Port last semester..."

"You don't have to use the same words I did." Kali assured. "Safe words are something two partners decide _together_."

"Right right, it's just... _I don't think I can ever look at that professor the same way again..._ " Ruby grimaced.

"Oh I don't know, it would do _wonders_ to kill the mood." Weiss added as she smirked at Ruby.

"Weiss! That's not funny!" Ruby complained.

Kali held back a laugh. "Anyways... next is aftercare. We have already discussed this, but there are a few things to note. When it comes to physical injuries such as bruising or rope burns, soothing creams can and should be used. When it comes to the mental aspect, there should always be reassurance that the participants are equals, not master and sub. They are two consenting partners who love and respect one another, and after all is said and done, they return to normal life, usually through some sort of leisure activity such as a nice bath, a movie, comfort food, etcetera. In short, you prepare, you practice and you cool down."

"Prepare, practice, cool down. Got it." Ruby echoed.

Kali smiled. "The last thing is simple. The sub is _always_ in control. No matter how things may seem who is being spanked, tied up or anything else, the domme is there to serve." She explained before turning to Weiss. "Remember, Ruby is here to serve _you_."

The heiress turned to Ruby. "I will."

"Good... now Weiss, have you heard of pet play?" Kali inquired.

Weiss nodded. "I have."

"Does the idea appeal to you?" Kali asked.

Weiss hesitated. "It... is certainly interesting."

"Would you be comfortable giving it a try?" The older woman offered.

"I... uh..." Weiss looked to Ruby, who smiled reassuringly, squeezing her hand.

"Only if you're comfortable Weiss." Ruby assured. "It's just an idea."

Kali shifted her gaze to the ivory-haired girl. "Weiss?"

The heiress was silent for a time, thinking about what it would be like to be treated as Ruby's pet. She imagined Ruby washing her hair... scratching her belly... putting a collar around her neck... looking down at her with disdain... tapping her foot after Weiss had done something _bad_... she could feel herself heating up just from the thought. Finally she smiled, turned to Ruby and giggled before laying her head in the crimsonette's lap. Turning her head to look up at her friend her smile grew. "I'll be a good girl if you'll give me treats."

The older woman couldn't help but laugh at how hard Ruby blushed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you excited for the rest of the date? For the WhiteRose lesson? Let me know!
> 
> And as always, your feedback fuels me!


	8. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hello Yang. Please have a seat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okaayy a little late late but it's here!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Also thanks for 100 kudos!

Kali watched as Weiss snuggled up to Ruby, finding it adorable how flustered the latter was getting. But as cute as it was, they had to continue with the lesson. "Weiss." She softly interrupted, causing the girl in question to cease her cuddling. "I know this is exciting for the both of you, but let us finish the lesson before getting carried away, shall we?"

Weiss lifted herself off of her blushing friend with a blush of her own. "Right...we should focus...on the lesson..." She mumbled, turning away as she tried to hide her growing blush.

"There's no need to be embarrassed dear." Kali chuckled. "The first thing I would like to talk about are basic preferences. In the bedroom or out, things you would enjoy from a partner. Ruby, would you like to start?"

The crimsonette flinched. "Oh, uh, sure. Things I like... I like... cuddling... and kissing... and hand holding..."

"If I may interrupt for a moment, we never discussed this, but what kind of sexual experience do you have Ruby?" Kali wondered.

"Oh, I, uh..." Ruby stammered. "Don't... have... any..."

Kali raised a brow. "Have you had any prior partners?"

"Yeah, I mean I had a girlfriend in high school... Penny... but we never really did anything like that..." Ruby admitted.

"But... Yang told me she found you sleeping together once, nude." Weiss interjected.

Ruby shook her head. "We still had our panties on... it was the closest thing I could really ever have with Penny... I liked the sensation... she liked the warmth..."

"So... you've never had sex before?" Weiss asked, to which Ruby shook her head.

"If I may Ruby, why was it that you couldn't go farther with Penny?" Kali inquired.

Ruby sighed. "Penny was asexual, so she was never interested in that sort of thing. I mean, I really liked being with her... it's just... _that_ part of the relationship was left out..." Her gaze fell. "I never pushed the subject because I loved her... but it just got so... _lonely_ sometimes..."

"Is that what caused your relationship to end?" The older woman asked. Ruby once again shook her head.

"It didn't matter to me, we loved each other, we were happy together." Ruby explained. "At the time her dads were working for the Atlas military, but they were stationed in Vale... then they were called back... and Penny had to go with them." She sighed, eyes downcast. "We didn't want to do long distance because we would be _continents_ apart... so we ended it."

Kali considered for a moment, Ruby's experience was comparable to Blake's own breakup with Velvet... the poor girl. "Ruby... since you never had the experience, is there anything you wished to try?"

"I've... um... always wanted to... _kiss a nipple_." Ruby stammered, earning a raised brow from Kali. "It's just this weird fantasy I have from when I was with Penny. I was only ever allowed to kiss her on the cheek or lips, anywhere else would make her uncomfortable. I got to see her in just her panties, but I was never able to... _explore_... And since then I had always found her nipples to be oddly... _perfect_... it made me want to kiss them. It was something that just, I dunno, stuck with me."

"It is not uncommon to be fixate upon a certain body part, in fact it is quite common." Kali explained. "Indeed it seems Weiss has a fair appreciation for your own chest." She chuckled as Weiss blushed. "But that aside, is there anything else you wish to experience?"

"Um... I've never... touched a butt before... at least in a sexual way..." Ruby meekly admitted, face steadily growing a deep shade of red. "I just... really want to touch... I've had to live with just looking for so long... and now all I can think about is how awesome it would be to be able to touch someone..."

"You can... touch... me..." Weiss mumbled, turning away slightly to hide her rosy complexion.

"Take care not to rush." Kali advised. "A time will come where you will do more, but for now, let us just focus on the basics." To which both girls nodded. "Weiss, what are some things you enjoy from a partner?"

Weiss hesitated. Glancing over at Ruby, she was slightly nervous at what her friend might say about her preferences. _Ruby would never think any less of you because of what you like_. She told herself as she took a deep breath. "I like... hair pulling... and... choking... scratching, spanking... verbal... verbal degradation... wax play... sensory deprivation... rope binding..."

"Weiss, if I may, do you really like those things?" Kali wondered. "Or were they just things you were used to when you were with Blake?"

"No no!" Weiss blurted. "I mean, I do enjoy them... most times I would tell her what I liked, other times we would find out together... but she never forced anything on me. Like one time... during a session... I was almost finished, and she pulled out and started... rubbing the tip against my rear... I called out to stop, and she completely backed down."

"You truly enjoyed all of those things?" The older woman inquired.

Weiss nodded. "I loved them... is that wrong?"

Kali shook her head. "Of course not dear. There is nothing wrong with having sexual preferences. But that does bring me to my next question, you mentioned you were not comfortable with anal, is there anything else that you are not ok with?"

"Bleeding." The ivory-haired girl immediately stated. "As well as... _fluids_... an such."

"Those are some things I think most people can agree on." Kali chuckled. "What about you Ruby?"

"Um... Other than those things... I don't think I'm comfortable with the... verbal degradation..." The crimsonette admitted before turning to her friend. "Weiss, I don't think I could ever talk down to you like that..." Her gaze fell. "I'm sorry..."

"Ruby..." With her free hand, Weiss reached up to cup Ruby's face, turning it towards her. "You don't need to satisfy _every_ one of my kinks to make me happy. You just being here is making me happy. _You_ , Ruby Rose, make me happy." Weiss stared into Ruby's silver eyes, as her best friend smiled speechlessly, cheeks tinted bright red, lips bobbing open and closed.

When asked what were her greatest moments in life, Weiss would forever recall this moment, the time she took a leap, leaning in to capture Ruby's lips with her own, drawing the flustered girl into a deep and searing kiss.

Ruby squeaked upon first contact, her eyes bulging, before sliding shut, giving in, wrapping her arms around Weiss' waist and returning the embrace with fervor. Never had she enjoyed this with Penny, limited only to pecks, and she was always the initiator.

No one had ever kissed Ruby before. It was amazing.

To Weiss the experience was equally gratifying. Kissing Blake was like losing a battle, force, teeth, dominating will, Weiss crumpled beneath her. Ruby melted into her, soft and gentle, yielding control, the feeling of her arms set alight a flame within her, and it burned bright.

Finally she broke off, panting softly, her breath mingling with her partners, as they came down from their high, Ruby's eyes lidded, staring up at her. She did not even notice her position, Ruby laying back, Weiss atop her hips.

"Well, you two are certainly comfortable with kissing." Kali giggled.

Weiss let her face drop into Ruby's chest, shaking with chuckles as her cheeks burned.

Among other places.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hi Winter..." Yang greeted, a nervous smile plastered on her face.

"Hello Yang." Winter flatly replied. "Please have a seat." To which the blonde nodded before sliding into the booth across from her. There were so many things Winter wanted to say to the girl, so many questions... she hardly knew where to start. Thankfully, Sienna would be of assistance, and as if on cue the older woman appeared, two cups of coffee in hand.

"Hello there, you must be Miss Xiao Long." Sienna smiled, giving a small nod before placing the cups on the table. "I am Sienna Khan, it is nice to meet you." She held out her hand, which Yang timidly shook.

"You can call me Yang." The blonde mentioned.

Sienna nodded. "Alright Yang. Would you like a drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?" She offered.

Yang shook her head. "No it's ok, I'm ok..." She sighed. "I just wanna get this over with..."

"Very well." Sienna nodded as she slid into the booth next to Winter. "I just have some questions for you, the first of which is rather simple. You were Blake's partner before Weiss, correct?"

" _Current_ partner actually." Yang clarified, earning confused looks from the other women. "Well we were always an open thing... because Blake had a bit of trouble committing because of a past relationship... I mean, we started as friends with benefits, but I was in love with her from the beginning. I know she loves me too, she's told me, but ever since Velvet she's been paranoid of getting attached..."

Winter knit her eyebrows. "So how does Weiss fit into that?"

"Right, sorry..." Yang mumbled. "I don't know how much Ilia told you about Weiss and Blake, but they were a very sudden thing. Before then they weren't on the best terms... I remember suggesting to them that they talk about their problems. So one afternoon they met in Blake's room... they talked, and of course started arguing... then it got physical... and then they fucked."

"And she told you about this?" Sienna inquired.

The blonde nodded. "Not long after, she called me over and... the place was kinda messy, Blake almost as much. She said it was an accident, that she thought it went too far... I asked her if Weiss enjoyed it, she said yes."

"And so you left them alone? With no oversight?" Winter challenged.

Yang shrugged. "I figured they'd... I dunno, fuck it out, get all the emotions out of their systems and get better."

The raven-haired woman sighed. "But it seems they did not."

"I never wanted this to happen..." Yang murmured, gaze falling. "I love them both, Weiss, even back then was so awesome when she wasn't... you know."

Winter narrowed her gaze. "Wasn't _what_?"

Yang hesitated. "Uh... under the influence of her father?"

"Oh... right. I apologize."

"Please continue Yang." Sienna requested, taking a sip from her coffee.

"I didn't want to pry, I thought maybe Blake as waiting for Weiss to talk to me first..." Yang explained. "I knew they were being rough, but Blake said Weiss was okay with it, or at least she thought so..."

"Is that why you take responsibility for this?" The older woman questioned. "You did not look into their relations?"

Yang shook her head. "It's not just that, she's only rough because I told her to be! I like it rough, I like a fight, it's fun to compete in bed, it kept things fresh and it worked us out... she was always so happy afterwards... she used to get sad."

"Do you know why she used to become upset before?" Sienna asked.

"Because..." Yang sighed, burying her face into her hands. "She doesn't like talking about... Velvet, her ex."

Sienna thought for a moment. "Can you elaborate on that? How does her ex fit in to all of this?"

Yang sighed. "Velvet was everything to Blake, she was going through a tough time and Velvet made it all better. Then she leaves, and Blake... she was upset, and angry, but didn't have anyone to talk to about it, so she just didn't, she kept it all bottled up inside and let it eat at her."

“So being rough in bed helped her get out all those feelings?” Sienna inquired.

"It was part of it, and it took a while for us to get to that stage but... it was cathartic for her, and fun for me." The blonde explained. "I... I've never had a partner who could do that to me, at least not one I _trusted_ to do that to me... I loved it... but I didn't expect... what happened with Weiss."

Winter gritted her teeth. "So you basically _train_ her to be rough, and you don't expect this to have any repercussions-"

"Winter, be calm." Sienna placated. "The fault is not with Yang, she had no control over Blakes actions."

"I didn't expect Blake to be so rough!" Yang exclaimed. "And I didn't expect Weiss would be so...so..."

"Ok with it?" Sienna guessed.

"I mean, it's Weiss Schnee!" Yang blurted. "Her, Cinder Fall, Coco Adel, Pyrrha Nikos... they're like these... _titans_. Nothing gets in their way, nothing stops them. If anything I would have thought Weiss would end up turning things on Blake, not... not just _taking it_."

"Learning one's sexual preferences can often be a surprising revelation." Sienna noted.

"I didn't know it was like that..." Yang mumbled. "It's not like Weiss is one to talk about that sort of thing but... I figured she had _some_ idea of herself."

"Sometimes one's preferences match their personalities, sometimes the opposite." The older woman added.

"Yeah... well, hindsight is a bitch." Yang sighed shakily, running a hand through her hair, she turned her worried gaze to Winter. "What's going to happen?"

Winter took a deep breath. "I believe Blake needs to be punished." She stated.

"Like... _legal punishment_?" Yang's voice quivered in the final word.

Sienna shook her head. "Well we haven't gone over the details yet, I imagine something along the lines of the _taste of her own medicine_ kind of punishment."

Yang hesitated. "Oh? Oh, okay, uh... I wasn't... alright."

"Is there a problem?" Winter questioned.

"No no I'm just... I was just really, really worried that this would go much higher than that..." Yang admitted. "I care about Blake Winter, I love her, warts, emotional scars and all. I... I want to help her get better, I don't want to lose her... If she was taken away I don't know what I would do."

"Don't worry Yang, I prefer to have these kinds of issues settled personally, and I will be the one carrying out the punishment, making sure no one goes overboard." Sienna assured.

Winter huffed. "I have restraint Sienna, unlike _someone_."

Sienna turned to the ivory-haired woman. "You say that now, but you don't know what you will be like when the situation is in front of you." She reminded.

"Is Ruby okay?" Yang suddenly asked, prompting the other women to shift their gazes to her.

The older woman nodded. "She's fine. Ruby, along with Kali and Ilia, are staying at Winter and Weiss' apartment for the time being."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, good... has she said anything, about me?"

"Not that I am aware of." Sienna answered.

"She did mention how you helped teach her how to cook, but that was it." Winter pointed out.

"Oh... alright... and Weiss?" The blonde continued.

"She is in Ruby's care, with help from Kali." Sienna informed.

Yang slowly nodded. "Good... that's good..."

"If I may, what has Blake been doing since yesterday?" Sienna cut in.

"Blake... she's not doing much." Yang sighed.

Sienna quirked a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

Yang thought for a moment. "Uh... would it be insensitive to say catatonic?"

The raven-haired woman shook her head. "Of course not. But has she really been that bad?"

"She keeps hiding, from me, from the world, just..." Yang huffed. "She barely speaks, almost didn't eat, and when I came back from getting dinner she..."

"What did she do? Or what was she doing?" Sienna questioned.

"She chewed her nails _bloody_." Yang whispered, looking sick.

"I see... do you know why she did that?" Sienna asked.

Yang sighed, running her hands through her "She just mumbled _so I can't do it_."

Winter narrowed her eyes. "So she couldn't do _what_?"

"I don't know!" Yang exclaimed. "She wasn't exactly talkative."

"Has anything happened since then?" The older woman inquired.

The blonde shook her head. "Not really, I managed to get her to shower and stuff but... she just fell right back into bed and curled up. She was like that when I left."

"So what is your plan going forward?"

Yang took a shaky breath. "I... I'm gonna take care of her, until she's ready to talk or... just, I'm gonna take care of her, however I can."

"Well, when she does start talking again, do let me know. I'm sure Winter would like to speak with her." Sienna requested.

Yang scrunched up her face. "Okay? Look I'm really worried something might happen when I'm gone, I don't know what but something like... is this gonna take long?"

“No no, as a matter of fact, I think that’s all I wanted to know." The older woman stated as she shook her head. "Winter, do you have anything else to ask Yang?”

"Yang..." Winter pursed her lips, glaring at the table as she wrestled with a myriad of potential questions. "What... would you have done, if it were Ruby, instead of Weiss?"

Yang paused, unsure of what to say. "I... if Blake had hurt Ruby... and it was my fault..." She took another shakey breath. "I don't know what I would do with myself..."

"Then you understand how I feel." Winter murmured, staring Yang in the eye.

Yang nodded. "Yeah... I do..."

"That will be all."

"Okay..." Yang mumbled before getting up to leave.

Sienna bowed her head. "Thank you for seeing us today Yang."

"Thanks for not biting my head off... uh, not that I expected you to just... I need to go." Yang rubbed her eye as she began striding off. Sienna watched as she made her way to a neon yellow motorbike, donning a helmet before starting it up, and roaring down the street.

As soon as Yang was out of view, Winter breathed a heavy sigh. "If it's all the same with you, I would like to go home now."

"Are you sure?" Sienna asked before finishing off her coffee. "I would hate to leave you in such a perturbed state."

The ivory-haired woman nodded. "I just need to go home, a walk around the neighbourhood will clear my head."

"What about the pier?" Sienna suggested.

Winter quirked a brow. "Excuse me?"

"The pier." Sienna repeated. "Taking a walk along the ocean is always calming."

Winter thought for a moment. "Yes... I suppose it would be... very well."

"Then shall we go now?" Sienna inquired as she collected their empty cups. She received a nod from the other woman.

After returning the two cups, Sienna led the way to her car, making sure to walk at a slower pace so Winter could keep up without straining herself. Another short drive later, they arrived at the Chlora Street Pier, one of the smaller piers in Vale. It was simple, just a single boardwalk that concluded with a solitary lookout building. After Sienna parked, the pair exited the car and Winter was immediately met with a salty breeze. It was not unpleasant, just... unfamiliar. Even though Winter's apartment was quite close to the ocean, her work usually didn't allow for much leisure time.

As the two women made their way down the pier, Winter couldn't help but smile. Even the simple act of walking, or in her case, hobbling, was made better by the beautiful scenery around them. That admiration was unfortunately cut short when Winter's foot was caught on an uneven board. Once again, she expected to fall to the ground, but for the second time that day, Sienna swooped in and caught her. With an arm around her waist, the older woman helped Winter to her feet. Rather than lash out as she did before, Winter simply mumbled thanks, which Sienna met with a smile. But before they continued their walk, the ivory-haired woman put her arm through Sienna's, prompting her to raise a brow.

"Don't get a big head." Winter scoffed as they resumed walking. "It is merely for support. This dock is hardly stable."

The older woman smirked. "If you say so." Lowering her hand, she intertwined her fingers with Winter's, prompting a small gasp from the other woman.

"What are you-" Winter started, cheeks tinting bright red.

" _Don't get a big head_ , I feel far more secure with you in hand." Sienna purred, ending with a wink.

Winter just rolled her eyes, turning away to hide her growing blush... as well as her smile. As much as she hated to admit it, having Sienna's fingers interlocked with hers felt... safe. The warmth was reassuring. Winter let out a sigh. She could not believe she was thinking that about a women she met _yesterday_.

"Something on your mind Winter?" Sienna wondered, pulling the other woman from her thoughts.

"Oh, no... it's nothing." Winter mumbled.

Sienna shrugged. "If you say so. But just know, if you want to talk, all four of my ears are listening." She chuckled.

"I can never figure out if joking about Faunus traits is still considered racist." Winter admitted.

"Well as long as it isn't anything demeaning, and the Faunus around you are ok with it." Sienna explained before pausing. "Are you ok with stairs?"

Winter quirked a brow. "What does that have to do with anything?" To which Sienna gestured to the two-story lookout building in front of them. "Oh, I can handle it, just not multiple times a day. I may be a bit slow, but if you would like to go up there, I will as well."

"Do not worry about that, I will be here to help you every _step_ of the way" Sienna grinned. Winter just rolled her eyes trying to stifle a giggle.

With some persuasion, Winter allowed Sienna to assist her up the stairs. Arms firmly linked, Sienna kept the weight off the other woman's injured leg, ascending one step at a time. Upon reaching the desired floor Sienna led the younger woman to one of the various benches lining the outer balcony.

As the pair sat down, Winter couldn't help but marvel at the gorgeous view. Though no sunset, the glimmering waves and distant sails held their own beauty, and the warm, salty breeze felt heavenly upon her skin.

"A beautiful view is it not?" Sienna admired, to which Winter nodded. "I remember crossing that sea for the first time, young, passionate, full of righteous fire... so much fire, so poorly directed."

"Where did you cross it from?" Winter asked, turning to face the older woman.

"Menagerie, born and raised." Sienna replied, a fond smile on her face.

"If you don't mind, why did you move here? Winter inquired. "Not that there's any problem with you moving here..."

"Here? To start anew, after social activism did not pan out." Sienna explained.

Winter raised a brow. "What sort of social activism?"

"Protests, campaigning, vandalism, espionage... you know, the stuff the government isn't a fan of." The older woman chuckled.

"I see... very... inspiring?" Winter hesitated.

"In the end society itself progressed, and I grew to realise we were doing more harm than help, so I came here." Sienna continued.

Winter sighed. "It is a shame when you realize you are on the wrong side..."

"At least my heart was in the right place..." Sienna assured. "And besides, were I not doing so, I would not have found Ilia."

"Yes... she is a lovely girl from what I've seen so far." Winter praised.

"She truly is." The raven-haired woman smiled. "Which reminds me, how did you end up in Vale? Last time I checked the Schnees were from Atlas."

"I joined the military to get away from our father, and when I was discharged... I found Vale to be the most desirable of cities." Winter explained.

"Oh a _military woman_..." The older woman smirked. "Any interesting stories?"

Winter thought for a moment. "Personally? No, though one of my squad mates, Heather, made it her life's mission to bed a different person every month."

Sienna quirked a brow. "Oh yeah? How'd she do?" She asked with a smirk.

"Quite well usually, though she did land herself in hot water by bedding an officer's niece." Winter recalled, attempting to stifle a giggle.

Sienna laughed. "Oh I imagine that would be a terrible situation to be in. But what about you? Did Heather manage to bed you too? She ended with a wink.

"She tried, many times." Winter noted. "Though a sweet girl and a magnificent marksman, I was not interested in becoming another notch on her belt."

"No? No interest at _all_?" Sienna coaxed.

"None." Winter stated. "I am not one for flings Sienna, I hold myself to a higher standard."

"And here I was thinking I would get you in bed tonight." Sienna teased.

Winter scoffed. "The cat will receive no cream this day."

"Maybe next time." Sienna suggested with a wink.

"You're fortunate I admire confidence, Heather was clearly wounded by my refusals." The ivory-haired woman commented.

"What can I say, I know how to attract a woman." Sienna purred.

Winter raised a brow. "By press ganging them into a date?"

"By giving them a reason to say yes." The older woman corrected.

"Hmm..." Winter mused.

"Hm?" Sienna repeated.

"I suppose today has been mostly pleasant." Winter admitted.

Sienna grinned. "Well, I'm glad you decided to join me."

"I hardly had a choice in the matter." Winter grumbled.

Sienna shrugged. "You could've said no, met up with Yang on a different day."

Winter huffed. "I was not interested in meeting Yang _another day_ , I am not one to sit idly by."

Sienna chuckled. "I got that impression when we met. But either way, I'm glad you decided to come out today. You seemed like you've been under a lot of pressure."

"Not a lot." Winter sighed wearily. "Just... constant."

"Would you like to talk about it?" Sienna inquired, her voice tinged with worry.

The younger woman shook her head. "Not now."

"Very well." Sienna nodded. "When or if you want to, I'm here."

Winter smiled. "Thank you, Sienna."

"You are most welcome." Sienna responded "And whenever you are ready, I can take you home."

Winter paused. "If it's alright with you... I would like to stay a little longer." She requested, receiving a smile and a nod from Sienna. The older woman held out her hand, which after a bit of hesitation, Winter took.

The two women remained there for a time, just enjoying the scenery. Eventually they had their fill, and the pair headed back to Sienna's car, where the older woman drove them back to Winter's apartment. As they arrived, Winter insisted she was alright to walk up herself, but Sienna refused to let her go up alone. So, hand in hand, they made their way up to the younger woman's floor. Once the pair arrived at Winter's door, the ivory-haired woman released Sienna's hand and turned to meet her gaze.

Winter hesitated. "Thank you... for today... I appreciated your help..." She brought her hand up to the fabric around her neck. "And the scarf... It was very generous gift..."

The older woman smiled. "No thanks necessary Winter. No gift is too generous for a woman such as you."

"Thank you..." Winter mumbled, her cheeks tinting pink.

Sienna took a step towards the other woman. "I had a wonderful time today Winter." She purred before planting a kiss upon the younger woman's cheek. "It was a nice date."

Winter blinked. Standing there frozen, she watched as the raven-haired woman smirked before turning to walk back to the elevator. "Sienna!" Winter burst. She wasn't sure why she spoke up, just that she felt she needed to.

Sienna turned her head to look back at the other woman. "Hm?"

Winter cleared her throat, straightening herself out. "How about another?"

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting behind a line of cars, Yang heaved a heavy sigh. Why did there have to be traffic _now_? Nervously tapping her foot against the ground, she waited for the light to turn green. After what felt like an eternity, it finally did, and Yang took off down the road as fast as the cars around her would allow. She wanted nothing more than to collapse on her bed and pass out. But unfortunately she could not do that, she had more important things to do.

Pulling into the dorms parking lot, Yang found herself a space. As she dismounted her bike, she retrieved a bag of food from one of its saddle bags. Not that the cafe she from earlier was not good, it was just given the circumstances, she wanted to pick up something from another place on her way back to the dorm. After Yang climbed the stairs to her floor, she came across two people she was _not_ expecting to see, Nora and Neon. Mainly because it was only early afternoon... meaning they were usually asleep. When the pair spotted her, they immediately rushed over to envelope her in a double-hug.

"Little tight there you two." Yang grunted.

Releasing the blonde, the two gingers took a step back. "We're sorry! But we haven't seen you in like, weeks!" Neon complained.

"Neon it hasn't been _that_ long since we've seen each other." Yang defended. "You two have just been partying _way_ too much."

"I think you haven't been partying _enough_ Yangbang!" Neon deflected, earning a sigh from the blonde.

"Oh yeah! Don't forget about the banging!" Nora burst.

"I don't think I _could_ forget about that." Neon smirked, turning her head to wink at her girlfriend.

"Well I imagine not being able to walk after almost every other session is _pretty_ memorable." Nora teased.

"That's because _someone_ in this hallway loves to keep eating me out after I've already had like, five orgasms!" Neon jokingly complained. "Spoiler alert, it's not _this_ redhead." She stage whispered to Yang.

"Okaayy I don't need to hear about that." The blonde groaned.

"Oh _speaking_ of orgasms- I mean partying, what're ya doing tonight?" Neon wondered. "Wanna come out for drinks? Maybe we can even go clubbing! Who knows what'll happen." Nora added with a wink.

Yang chuckled. "Knowing you two, it's gonna be a lot of both."

"Soooo? What'dya say Xiao Long? Wanna get _crazy_?" Nora coaxed, leaning closer to Yang for emphasis.

"As fun as that would be... I'm gonna have to pass." Yang admitted. "I'm staying in with... a friend tonight."

"Bring them!" Neon encouraged. "It's gonna be super duper fun!"

"My... friend isn't much of a clubbing person." Yang noted.

"Aw, pretty please?" Neon attempted to persuade with a pout.

"Sorry girls." Yang apologized. "Thanks for the invitation, but I think we're gonna stay in tonight."

Nora pouted along with her girlfriend. "Aw man, party pooper."

"Maybe next time." The blonde offered.

"Yeah! Next time!" Neon burst, earning a small chuckle from Yang. "Well we'll see ya later Yangbang!"

Yang smiled as the pair walked past her. "See you-AH! Hey!" She exclaimed as she felt a tail whip her rear. "Neon!" The redhead in question just giggled as she and Nora scurried down the hall.

_Knock knock._

No answer. Bringing out the extra key, Yang inserted it into the keyhole and unlocked the door. "Blake?" She called out into the pitch black room. No answer again. Flicking on the light, Yang saw that the room was empty... mostly. Underneath the covers of the bed there was a lump. Yang sighed. So she was still like that. Walking across the room, Yang placed the bag of food on the desk and lightly sat down at the edge of the bed. As she did, the covers pulled inward, the form beneath shrinking in composure. The blonde raised a hand to attempt to comfort her partner, but she decided against it. "Hey, I uh... brought you something from O'Malley's... it's your favourite... If you come out you can have it..."

Blake gave no response.

Yang took a shaky breath. "Blake... please..." She pled. "You're scaring me... You're not eating, you've only left this room once, you've barely said a word to me... please Blake I can't stand seeing you like this..."

Once again Blake gave no response.

The blonde could feel tears welling, but fought them back. She had to be strong... for Blake. "I just want to help you... I love you, and I'm trying to make things better... but I can't do anything if you keep pushing me away..."

The covers slightly shifted, but still no response. Maybe Yang was getting somewhere...

"I uh... met up with Weiss' sister Winter, and her... friend Sienna today." Yang informed. In response Blake cowered even more under the sheets. "They asked me about you and Weiss, then about us... and then they mentioned a... punishment..." She took a deep breath. "Winter wanted to give you a... taste of your own medicine..." Yang waited for some kind of response... _anything_... but none came. Blake just stayed under the covers, silent and motionless. "At first I thought it was going to be some kind of legal punishment... I..." Yang could feel tears welling again, but didn't stop them this time. "I don't want to lose you... If you were taken away... I don't know what I would do..." She sniffled, tears running down her face.

The covers shifted, twisting and morphing until Blake sat upwards beneath, so far as Yang could tell at least. It took a few minutes, but Blake eventually spoke up. "I'm sorry..." Came a faint whisper from beneath.

Yang smiled, not because Blake apologized, but because she said anything at all. "Blake... I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to eat. I want you to talk to me. I want you to leave your room for something other than a shower... I want my partner back..."

"I don't deserve to be your partner." Blake mumbled from beneath the covers. "I don't deserve to be _anyone's_ partner..."

"Don't say that." Yang pled. "Of course you deserve to be someone's partner. You made a mistake, _everyone_ makes mistakes." She paused for a moment as she took a deep breath. "Wounds take time to heal Blake... I know Ruby and Weiss will forgive you... but until then, I'll be here with you, and I'm not going anywhere." Reaching out, Yang gently placed her hand on what she believes is Blake's leg. "I promise."

The room remained silent for a time, Blake remaining motionless. Eventually she grabbed at the covers, pulling them around her body. Yang was worried at first, thinking Blake was going back into hiding, but that was not the case. Moving the sheets around, Blake soon made her face visible, if only partially. Yang gaver her a sad smile, but she couldn't bring herself to meet her partner's gaze. Blake opened her mouth a few times, but said nothing. After a few minutes, she finally spoke.

"Thank you..."

It wasn't much, but it was definitely a start.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope the rest of the date was worth the wait!
> 
> heh, rhymes.
> 
> Anyways, as always, your feedback fuels me!


	9. Hot and Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Now, eat your breakfast and we can get started."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is *super* late (so sorry), I've been in a bit of a slump recently, but I kept writing and it's here now!
> 
> I've got a couple of announcement-type-things at the end, so enjoy!

"Girls? _Girls_?"

Weiss blinked, realizing she was still staring down at Ruby from her position atop her hips. The heiress' blush only grew as her friend smiled up at her. How was it that in the span of a few days, this girl's smile went from just mildly cute... okay very cute, to downright intoxicating? Her lips were so soft... she couldn't help but wonder how they would feel elsewhere...

"I think we got a little sidetracked..." Ruby giggled, blushing fiercely.

Shaking away the _less than appropriate_ thoughts, the ivory-haired girl smiled. "I suppose we did." Shifting herself back onto the couch, she turned to Kali. "I apologize for getting carried away. What's next for the lesson?"

Kali chuckled "There's no harm in getting a _little_ carried away, Weiss, and as for the lesson I suppose that was it for now."

Weiss quirked a brow. "So the lesson's over?" To which the older woman nodded. "Then what should we do now?"

"What would you _like_ to do Weiss?" Kali wondered.

The heiress thought for a moment. "Maybe... we could all go out for lunch?" She suggested.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Kali praised. "I'll retrieve Ilia and then we'll get going!"

 

* * *

 

Between the four of them, only Weiss had a preference for upscale dining.

And even she didn't feel like dressing up for such an establishment. So they chose a smaller restaurant, local, family owned, with a rustic decor that wouldn't have been out of place in a junk shop. The food selection was diverse, so there was something for everyone. Kali had a beef stir fry, Ilia had grilled chicken salad, and in true Ruby fashion, the crimsonette had chicken nuggets. All in all, lunch was delicious.

Not long after the four returned to the apartment, Sienna arrived to drop Winter off. Kali attempted to get her to stay, but she declined, saying that Winter had _probably had enough of her for one day_.

As an extra thanks for letting them stay, and to make use of the other ingredients she bought, Kali cooked dinner for everyone... and yet again, she made enough to feed an army. _Guess that means lots of leftovers..._ Weiss thought when she saw the sheer amount of food the elder woman had cooked for them. Rice was dominant of course, curried chicken and vegetables to go with it, then there were deviled eggs, and home made chips that tasted better than any other she had tried.

After Winter returned, Weiss found herself concerned by her sister's demeanor. She was almost... _off balance_ , and her flustered reaction to questioning on the, admittedly beautiful scarf around her neck was a very new experience. In spite of this oddness, it brought a smile to Weiss' face to know that someone could make the fearsome Winter Schnee blush like a nervous school girl.

When it was time for bed, the five woman took their respective places. Winter retired to her own room, Kali and Ilia took the couches, and once again, Ruby joined Weiss in her bed. Weiss could tell Ruby was more comfortable this time since she not only had her own pyjamas, but her own underwear. Once the pair had settled into bed and snuggled up together, the crimsonette leaned over to her friend.

"Good night Weiss." Ruby whispered before kissing Weiss on the cheek.

Feeling her cheeks heat up, the ivory-haired girl smiled. Turning her head to face her friend, Weiss planted a kiss upon Ruby's lips. "Good night Ruby."

 

* * *

 

As the morning came, Weiss woke up to feel something soft and warm pressed up against her front. She couldn't help but smile, since she knew exactly what it was, judging by the strong scent of roses filling her nose. Slowly opening her eyes, the heiress was met with the back of Ruby's head... which she was honestly not expecting. Tilting her head to get a better view, Weiss almost gasped at what she saw. She was... spooning Ruby. It was an odd feeling being the big spoon, she was so used to being the small spoon to Blake, and it was never so... _peaceful_. There was always something else going on with Blake, whether it be harsh nails raking her skin, or sharp teeth nipping her throat... they never just... lied there together.

"Weiss... are you... doing that on purpose?" Ruby whispered, pulling the heiress from her thoughts.

Weiss blinked. _Doing what?_ She asked herself. Her one arm was around Ruby's stomach, which was standard for spooning, but her other arm... had somehow snaked its way under Ruby's shirt and was now... oh... _oh gods not again..._

Ruby giggled. "That makes two mornings in a row you've copped a feel."

"I'm so sorry Ruby..." Weiss mumbled. "I promise I would never willingly take advantage of you."

"Weiss you didn't take advantage of me-EEP!" Ruby attempted to assure as Weiss removed her hand from her breast, squeaking as her friend unintentionally rubbed a stiff peak with her finger.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Weiss apologized, reeling her hands back.

"Weiss it's ok!" Ruby assured. "You just... surprised me is all... _it tickled..._ "

Weiss quirked a brow. "Your nipple is ticklish?"

"Well, they're kinda sensitive since they haven't been... touched by anyone..." Ruby admitted.

"Oh... I... sorry." Weiss mumbled.

"It's ok, really... I should've woken you up, I've been lying here for half an hour while you sleep-fondled me." Ruby chuckled.

The heiress sighed, her gaze falling. "I've never slept in the same bed as anyone else before... except maybe Winter..."

"Did you get a handful of her too?" Ruby joked.

Weiss gasped. " _Ruby Rose_!"

The crimsonette laughed. "I'm kidding Weiss I'm kidding!"

Crossing her arms, Weiss pouted. "That is not something to joke about Ruby. How would you feel if I made that joke about _your_ sister?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "She doesn't seem to know what personal boundaries _are_. I can't count how many times she's touched my butt in some way." She explained, letting out a sad chuckle.

"Why... don't we take a shower?" Weiss offered, changing the subject.

"I wanna get something to eat first." Ruby answered, shaking her head. "I'm pretty hungry."

The ivory-haired girl smiled. "Then let's go get some breakfast." Hopping off the bed, Weiss held out her hand, which Ruby glady took, and the two made their way to the kitchen. There they found Kali preparing another mountain of food. "Kali, did you make all this? I thought we had lots of leftovers..."

"Oh no, these _are_ the leftovers!" Kali informed with a smile.

Weiss blinked. "They are?"

"But they smell just as good as yesterday!" Ruby cut in.

Kali chuckled. "That's just my _secret technique_ for preparing leftovers dears."

" _Secret technique_??" Ruby gasped. "That's sounds so cool! Can you teach me??"

"Maybe after the lesson Ruby." Kali answered. "Now, eat your breakfast and we can get started."

 

* * *

 

After Weiss and Ruby retrieved their piles of food, they joined Ilia at the kitchen table. The trio mostly ate in silence, making short work of their meals. Once they were finished, Ruby washed the dishes while Kali put away the still large amount of leftovers. Weiss and Ilia both offered to help, but the elder woman assured that she and Ruby had things covered. So instead the pair went to the living area and plopped down the the couches to watch some tv.

Not long after they sat down, Kali and Ruby entered the living area. "Are you ready to begin the next lesson Weiss?" The older woman wondered.

"What is the topic for today?" Weiss inquired.

"The more intimate parts of the relationship." Kali answered, causing Ilia to flinch.

"Um, sorry but do you mind if I step out for this one?" Ilia humbly asked, earning quizzical from the others, which caused her to tint pink. "I uh... just think that it's a very private topic... and I don't really feel... comfortable being present while you talk about it..."

"There's no need to apologize Ilia." Kali smiled. "I myself have unfortunately had the... _experience_ of hearing about Sienna's various relations."

"So you don't mind if I go take a walk or something?" Ilia wondered.

"Of course not, go right ahead!" Kali chirped. To which the brunette nodded before heading to the front door, putting on her shoes and exiting the apartment. "So girls, are you ready to begin?"

Weiss and Ruby, who was now sitting next to the other girl, both nodded.

"Wonderful!" The elder woman grinned, clapping her hands together before taking her seat in the armchair adjacent to the couch. "Now, sexual intimacy in a relationship should _always_ start with planning, so that the couple can be aware of what each of them does and does not enjoy. In addition, things should be kept clean to ensure nothing bodily will get in the way of planned actions, or otherwise make it unpleasant."

"So like... showering before... having sex?" Ruby wondered.

"You're on the right track Ruby, though I find that showers after sex are more practical." Kali explained. "Usually due to the sweat, showers are a good way to cool down, especially after an intense session."

Ruby thought for a moment. "Does that still count if two people have sex in the shower?"

The older woman chuckled. "Yes Ruby, just because a session is in the shower, doesn't mean you you shouldn't clean yourselves after."

"You hear that Ruby? Sex in the shower is not a substitute for a real shower." Weiss teased.

"I know I was just making sure!" Ruby defended, crossing her arms and pouting.

"As long as you know." The heiress smiled at her friend before turning back to the elder woman. "What's next Kali?"

"Grooming." Kali answered, earning confused looks from the girls. "To put it simply, it is a domme taking care of a sub. For example, if you two were to take a shower together, Ruby washing your hair would be considered grooming."

"So... similar to some of the ways I would take care of Zwei?" Ruby inquired.

Kali nodded. "Exactly Ruby. Think of hygiene-related things you would normally do for yourself, but instead do them for Weiss."

"Okay... I think I get it." Ruby slowly nodded.

"As we discussed the purpose of a safe word yesterday, I won't go over it again... unless either of you have any other questions?" Kali wondered, to which Ruby and Weiss both shook their heads. "Then we shall move on to the session itself. Couples should do what they enjoy; domination and submission, ensuring that the chosen roles and play are carefully maintained." She explained. "As for new ideas, one thing that I find helps is a red-green-yellow rule."

" _Red-green-yellow rule_?" The crimsonette echoed.

The raven-haired woman nodded. "To put it simply, it is a stoplight method. It allows the sub to give simple and concise feedback. Green means good, yellow means slow down, and red means stop."

"Simple enough." Weiss commented.

"Now I already explained the idea of aftercare, so I won't go _too_ into detail, but it is worth going over again." Kali continued. "After dealing with any injuries - rope burns, bruises, etcetera - aftercare is all about reassurance. Remember, you are not truly master and sub, but two consenting partners who love and respect one another. Once a session is finished, normal life is resumed, usually through a leisure activity - a movie, bath, comfort food, something relaxing you decide together."

"love and respect..." Weiss mused.

"Weiss, may I ask you a question?" Kali inquired, to which the girl nodded. "Have you received any... lasting injuries from my daughter?"

The heiress' gaze fell. "The bruises will fade, and... most of the scratches didn't scar... and the ones that did..."

"She gave you scars?!" Ruby gasped.

" _They're not that bad..._ " Weiss mumbled.

"Scarring is _scarring_ Weiss, that's not right." Kali stressed.

“I mean she would also make threats to send pictures of me to people, but I know she didn’t really send them out.” Weiss defended.

“But she did. She sent them to Ilia.” Kali informed.

"Whom she named specifically, quite early in our relationship..." Weiss explained. "It... excited me."

Kali blinked. “It... excited you that she really sent those pictures out?”

"Well... yes... it... was frightening, knowing that someone else could see what I became with Blake... and I loved it." The ivory-haired girl admitted.

“Were you comfortable with it because it was someone Blake trusted?” Kali inquired.

Weiss slowly nodded. "In part, what little I knew of Ilia indicated she was... _reserved_ , enough that she was not the sort to spread gossip at least."

“But what if she had?”

The heiress hesitated, her gaze falling. "Then I would have... have... I don't know..."

“If I may ask one more question regarding that relationship, did Blake ever say that she loved you?” Kali asked.

Weiss shook her head. "No."

“Then why do you defend her actions?” The older woman added.

"Because I love _her_." Weiss declared.

“Even though she does not love you back?”

"It wouldn't be the first time." Weiss mumbled.

Kali quirked a brow. “What do you mean by that Weiss?”

"Father, Mother, Brother... the only member of my family who truly treated me with the love I gave was Winter." The heiress murmured.

“I’m sorry... I often hear that overbearing family can be hard to deal with, but neglecting family... that is true loneliness..." Kali sighed. "But why do you defend someone who physically and mentally abused you?”

"What do you want me to say Kali? That I developed stockholm syndrome? That I was too afraid Blake would hurt me if I told her no again?" Weiss questioned.

“I apologize Weiss, I just do not understand how you continued to love someone after they hurt you over and over again.” The older woman admitted.

"Because I _liked_ it Kali." Weiss declared. "It made me feel so many things, things I never truly understood before, so I came back, time and time again and wanted more and more... of course I grew to love her, no one else had ever inspired such sensations within me..."

“If I may, what usually happened after your sessions?” Kali inquired.

"I cried, or lay there in a daze... or both." Weiss explained.

“If you said you liked it... why would you cry?” Ruby asked, her face full of worry.

The ivory-haired girl sighed. "I don't know Ruby I just... it was overwhelming... it felt good to cry."

“In there lies the issue." Kali addressed. "If all of your sessions ended similarly, it is clear that you were were not provided with aftercare.”

Weiss' gaze fell. "I realize that now..."

Kali smiled. “Good. That is why Ruby is here, to show you what a healthy relationship looks like.”

Putting her hand on Weiss' thigh, the crimsonette smiled as well. "I promise I'll... I'll do my best for you Weiss."

The heiress shifted her gaze to her friend, smiling back. "Thank you Ruby..."

After a moment of silence, Kali spoke up. "Weiss? Are you ready to continue? Or would you like to take a break?"

Weiss thought for a moment. There was a lot on her mind... maybe a break would be a good idea. "I think I would like to take a break... maybe go out for a short walk."

"Be sure to grab your coat dear, it's rather windy outside today." Kali advised.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ruby asked as Weiss rose from the couch.

The ivory-haired girl shook her head. "I think I will take this walk alone, I need to sort out my thoughts." Ruby didn't respond, just nodding as Weiss made her way to the front door. Reaching out her hand to grab her coat off one of the wall-hooks, she stopped. On the hook beside her coat was one of Ruby's hoodies. The red colour was faded, and taking a quick peek Weiss could see the stain on the pocket was still there. Even though Ruby had forgotten, the heiress still remembered how it happened. The dolt spilled chocolate milk on it from laughing so hard. She didn't clean it properly even though Weiss _clearly_ told her how to do it.

Honestly, it made Weiss smile. "Ruby?" She called back to the living area.

"Yeah?" Ruby replied, perking up from the couch.

"Do you... mind if I borrow your sweater?" The heiress wondered.

The crimsonette blinked. "Oh uh, sure! I think I washed it this week... maybe..."

Weiss smiled. "It's fine, thank you Ruby." Grabbing the hoodie off the hook, she pulled it over her head. Once she had it on, Weiss noticed it was larger than she expected... _especially in the chest area_... but that aside, it smelled like... _Ruby_. Normally the combination of smells would not be pleasant, cheap deodorant, sweat, and a hint of milk, but it was Ruby's, so for all Weiss cared, it was the greatest smell in the world.

And that was more than a little concerning.

Shaking away the thought, Weiss slipped on her shoes, bid farewell to Ruby and Kali, and exited the apartment.

After Weiss left, the room was silent for a time before Kali spoke up. "Ruby, has Weiss ever worn anything of yours before?"

Ruby thought for a moment. Out of all the time Ruby had known Weiss, she did not think she has ever seen her friend wear or even ask to wear anyone else's clothes. Even over the past few months, Ruby could think of plenty of times she had worn her friends' things. Shirts, hoodies, jackets, hats, pants, socks, even a pair of boots from Blake for a _less-than-successful_ date. Thinking back, Ruby probably could have gone without those boots, but Yang reminded her how long it took to convince Blake to let Ruby borrow them, as well as her _insistence_ she would look _sexy_ in them.

The crimsonette finally shook her head. "Nothing of mine."

That gave Kali an idea. "Would you be open to lending Weiss that sweater for a little while?"

"Well I mean if she wants to borrow it that's fine with me." Ruby shrugged.

Kali smiled. "Good, because I would like to try something. I want you to teach Weiss to love your scent, _crave_ it, and be comforted by it. By lending her your unwashed sweater, your scent is constantly around her, until it wears off at least. Once that happens, you will simply take it back, replacing it with another shirt or sweater until the scent can be restored."

"So, what exactly will that... do?" Ruby wondered.

"It will help break her connection to Blake a little more." Kali explained. "Being away from her like this is one of the best things that can be done, but we after a certain point, we can't change how much she thinks of Blake. By having your scent around Weiss, she can be reminded of you, even when you're not there."

"Will that really work?" Ruby asked.

Kali shrugged. "The only way to know for sure is to try."

 

* * *

 

As the elevator doors slid closed, Weiss breathed a heavy sigh. She had hoped to avoid the subject of Blake, especially in front of Ruby. It was... conflicting to say the least. She cared for Ruby, and cherished her friend's companionship, but her feelings for Blake remained strong, and after recent events... it left her feeling terribly confused.

Soon enough the elevator reached its destination with a bing, and Weiss stepped out into the lobby. As she walked through the room, she smiled at Klein, and upon seeing her, his face immediately lit up.

"Good afternoon Miss Schnee!" Klein greeted with a smile. "Going out are we?"

"Good afternoon to you too Klein." Weiss replied. "And just for a walk, I won't be out long."

Klein nodded. "Very good! Have a pleasant walk Miss Schnee!"

"Thank you very much." The heiress smiled, giving a small bow before heading out onto the street. Once she was outside, her mind couldn't help but circle back to Blake. Kali told her that Blake _abused her_ , but that wasn't true... it couldn't be... Weiss was aware that some of the things she felt weren't entirely healthy, but Blake didn't simply... _abuse her into submission_... it may have started from an accidental outburst, but they did what they did because they _wanted_ to.

They both wanted it. Weiss was sure of it.

Her mind also found its way to Yang, wondering what she would think, or thought, of the current situation. Weiss respected Yang, and as annoying as she can be sometimes, she always had a unique perspective on things. She was an admirable woman, and if Weiss was being honest, she envied the blonde. Yang was the perfect woman physically, loved by everyone she knew, and feared by the rest. Like that Cardin guy. Yang saw him giving a monkey Faunus a hard time, so she kicked his ass. Yang did not even _know_ him, yet she stood up for him like they were best friends.

There was one other reason Weiss envied Yang - her place in other peoples' lives. Pyrrha respected her as a fellow athlete, Ruby as an elder sister, Blake as a dear friend and lover, the others as all manner of relationships. Weiss had few in comparison, she was simply... _too prickly_ as Yang put it, and people just do not make the effort, unlike Yang herself. Honestly, she was thankful for the persistence of the blonde, as well as Ruby, otherwise she would still be alone...

A buzzing sensation alerted Weiss to her scroll. Slipping it free of its pocket she realized it had not been checked since Friday, in fact she had barely remembered to charge it, flicking away any notifications that popped up. A small pang of guilt shot through her when she noticed there were also various messages from Pyrrha.

 **Pyrrha:** _Good afternoon! I was just wondering what you were doing today. I came by your room but there was no answer, perhaps you are already out?_

The guilt only grew as she read on.

 **Pyrrha:** _Just checking in! I came by your room again but there was still no answer, so I hope you have a good day! Please text me back as soon as you can._

 **Pyrrha:** _I talked to Yang last night, she told me something happened on Friday and that is why you have not been around. She recommended I ask you about it, but I would not like to pry into something that is none of my business. I hope you are doing ok._

 **Pyrrha:** _I am here for you if you need any support Weiss._

The heiress couldn't help but smile. Even when it was 'none of her business', Pyrrha was always ready to help at the drop of a hat.

 **Weiss:** _Hi Pyrrha, I'm sorry I did not get back to you sooner. I'm ok, just returning home for the time being. Something did happen, but I do not feel comfortable talking about it quite yet. Thank you for being such a good friend._

Unsurprisingly, Weiss did not have to wait long for a response.

 **Pyrrha:** _I am glad you are alright Weiss, and hope you are having a nice time at home. Please do not feel the need to talk about what ever happened until you are ready. Just know I will be here for you when you are._

 **Weiss:** _Thank you Pyrrha. I promise, when I'm ready you will be the first to know, aside from Ruby._

 **Pyrrha:**   _Speaking of, have you seen Ruby lately? I have not seen her since Friday._

Weiss was hesitant to answer that question. It was not that she did not trust Pyrrha with the information, she just did not want her to take it the wrong way... wait a second. This was _Pyrrha_ , she was going to take it in the most innocent way possible.

 **Weiss:** _Ruby has been staying with me since Friday._

 **Pyrrha:** _That is wonderful! I hope you and Ruby have a nice time together! And tell her I said hi!_

 **Weiss:**   _I will. Please send Ren my regards. :P_

Pyrrha would know Weiss was teasing her, at least she hoped. She normally never used emojis.

 **Pyrrha:**   _Not funny! I will give my ~friend~ your regards! Talk to you later!_

Weiss had to stifle a laugh. Even over text Pyrrha was so easy to tease. Sliding her scroll back into her pocket, she continued her walk... only to bump into someone within about five seconds. Honestly, it was surprising she did not run into anything or anyone while texting Pyrrha.

"Oh I'm sorry-" Weiss blinked, realizing who she just bumped into. "Ilia?"

"Weiss?" The brunette exclaimed. "What are you doing out here?"

"I... needed a break." Weiss admitted. "The subject of Blake came up... and it wasn't exactly something I was thrilled to talk about..."

"Oh... do you want to join me on my walk?" Ilia offered.

"I'd like that." The heiress smiled as the two began their walk together.

After a few minutes spent in silence, Ilia spoke up. "So... how are you feeling?"

Weiss thought for a moment. "Honestly... I'm a little conflicted right now... having Blake be brought up in front of Ruby... I just... in the moment defending Blake felt right, but because Ruby is so angry with her, it feels wrong..."

Ilia sighed. "I know how you feel... well, sort of."

Turning her head, Weiss raised a brow. "Sort of?"

"Do you remember the girl I talked about yesterday?" Ilia asked, to which the other girl nodded. "Well, she wasn't just a girl... she was... older."

" _Older_?" Weiss echoed.

The brunette nodded. "Let's just say she uh... _hadn't been in school for quite some time_."

Weiss blinked. "Oh."

"So I understand how you feel... kind of." Ilia tried to assure. "One part of me _really_ liked her... but then I also felt like what we had was... _wrong_ because our age difference. She told me so often that I shouldn't let that bother me... but I couldn't help it... I knew it bothered her too."

"How did you get past it?" Weiss inquired.

"It took a while... but over time we learned to live with it... and eventually we stopped letting it get to us." Ilia explained.

"And it just... _happened_?"

"Slowly, but yes." Ilia confirmed. "These feelings you have... they won't straighten out over night. They're something that will take time and effort, for the both of you to sort out."

"Why can't this be simpler" Weiss huffed. "So much of my life has been guided by common sense, why does _this_ have to be different?"

"Because common sense doesn't really apply to emotions Weiss." Ilia answered. "Common sense says not to bother, our hearts say to try our hardest."

The ivory-haired girl sighed. "Then what am I supposed to do? Being reminded that I still love Blake makes everything feel so... _wrong_ all of a sudden..."

"Have you tried talking to Ruby about them?" Ilia asked.

"I... no." Weiss admitted.

"Are you afraid of what she might say?"

Weiss hesitated. "Yes..."

"What do you think that might be?" The brunette wondered.

"I'm afraid... that she'll leave..." Weiss mumbled.

Ilia sighed. "Weiss..."

"It's just... she's already so angry at Blake... and Yang..." Weiss lamented. "I don't want her to be angry with me as well..."

"She's angry _for_ you Weiss, because you were hurt, because she cares about you, _you_ Weiss." Ilia assured. "There's no way in hell she could be angry _at_ you. She might be confused, she might not understand, but she will _try_ for you Weiss, you just have to give her that chance."

Weiss slowly nodded. "Okay... thank you Ilia..."

Ilia smiled. "You're welcome Weiss... thank you for being open with me."

The heiress' gaze fell. “You don’t have to thank me... after all I’m the reason you’re involved with this mess...”

"Yes..." Ilia's skin tinted a shade brighter. "I uh, apologize for not making sure you were okay with... _that_."

“It’s ok, I was.” Weiss clarified. “If you don’t mind my asking... what did you... _think_ of that?”

Ilia blinked. "Uh... well... objectively speaking or... in context?"

Weiss thought for a moment. “Both?”

"You... are a very beautiful woman Weiss, and the contrast of your public persona compared to the pictures was... gorgeous." Ilia admitted.

A small blush found its way to Weiss' face. "Thank you Ilia... You are very beautiful as well..."

"You're welcome Weiss... if... in some way it kinda makes us even I could uh... send you some personal pictures of my own?" Ilia offered.

"Oh! I... um... only if you are comfortable with it... I don't want to force you to do anything..." Weiss mumbled as her blush grew.

"I don't mind! Really it's uh... kind of a thing I like... I don't really get to indulge in it though." Ilia confessed.

Weiss blinked. "You... like it too?"

"It's kind of exciting, being judged by someone you can't see, admired and... maybe other things." Ilia gushed, her shade deepening slightly.

Weiss narrowed her brow. "Other things... oh! I, uh... I would never... _do anything like that_..."

Ilia's shade deepened further. "Neither would I."

"So you never felt... _uncomfortable_ seeing my pictures?" The heiress inquired.

Ilia shook her head. "At first no... but after a while I noticed things... escalating... you just never seemed... _happy_."

Weiss hesitated. "I... didn't?"

"You never smiled." The brunette informed.

Weiss thought for a moment. Any time Blake took a picture of her... _post-session_... all she remembered was... _exhaustion_. Not once did she recall smiling for any of those pictures. "I guess I didn't..."

Ilia sighed. "I don't doubt you enjoyed it Weiss, but... enjoying something doesn't mean it makes you happy."

"Thank you for telling me that Ilia..." The ivory-haired girl smiled.

"You're welcome? I kinda feel like a jerk though." Ilia confessed.

Weiss raised a brow. "Why is that?"

"It just feels a little off to say someone isn't happy for enjoying something, even if it's right..." Ilia explained, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I dunno it just does, a part of me feels like I'm walking on eggshells and the rest of me knows you just want honesty."

"Trust me Ilia, you're not being a jerk. Being honest is the best thing you can do for me."

"I'm trying very hard." Ilia promised.

As the pair continued their walk, Weiss slowed down to a stop, grabbing Ilia's hand as she did so, prompting her to stop as well. "Really, thank you. I truly value our friendship."

"Weiss... oh!" Ilia began, interrupted by the other girl pulling her into a hug. She smiled, returning the hug. "I value your friendship too."

 

* * *

 

Not long after Weiss and Ilia finished their talk, the pair made their way back to the former's apartment. Upon arriving, they removed their shoes and Ilia her jacket. As the brunette hung the jacket on one of the hooks, she noticed Weiss still had her hoodie on. Now that she thought about it, compared to Weiss' usual wardrobe, the hoodie was very... _red_... and _worn_... It looked more like something Ruby would wear.

"Are you not gonna take your hoodie off?" Ilia wondered.

The heiress shook her head. "I think I'll keep it on for a little longer..."

"Alright." Ilia shrugged as the pair walked into the living area, where they found Ruby and Kali watching tv.

"Welcome back girls." Kali greeted with a smile upon seeing them.

"Weiss!" Ruby burst, shooting up up from the couch. "How was your walk?"

"It was... refreshing." The ivory-haired girl smiled. "I received from texts from Pyrrha, which reminded me I had a scroll." She chuckled. "Which reminds me, she told me to tell you she says hi."

"Oh! Tell her I say hi back!" Ruby excitedly requested.

"You know you have a scroll too, you can tell her yourself you dolt." Weiss laughed.

Ruby blinked. "Oh yeah."

"Anyways, I also ran into Ilia." Weiss continued. "We had a _lovely_ chat about our sexual history."

"What?!" Both Ruby and Ilia exclaimed.

"Kidding." The heiress smirked, earning sighs of relief from the other girls, and a laugh from Kali. "I can make jokes too."

Ruby and Ilia proceeded to give each other awkward looks as Weiss smugly strode off to her bedroom.

"I'm uh... I'm gonna go join her." Ruby managed before turning to follow the heiress. When she reached Weiss' room, Ruby opened the door to find her friend stark in her icy blue underwear. "Hey Weiss, can I ask you- Oh! I'm sorry I didn't know you were changing..." She sputtered, averting her eyes. "Is it... ok for me to see you like this?"

"Yes Ruby, it's ok." Weiss chuckled. "We've showered together, seeing me in my underwear is a tad tame in comparison, what did you wish to ask me?"

"Oh, right, it's actually a few things." Ruby clarified. "First, do you want to... keep that hoodie for a while?"

"If you're offering." Weiss shrugged. "It's quite comfortable. Though maybe next time you should wash it before letting someone borrow it." She chuckled.

"Well I wasn't expecting for you want to wear it." Ruby admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "You look great in red by the way."

"Thank you Ruby..." The heiress smiled. "I think you would look beautiful in white. Like... a white rose." She grinned. Her friend wasn't able to formulate a coherent response, resulting in just rambling... very cute rambling. "So, what other questions did you have?" Weiss asked, attempting to stifle a giggle.

"Well... this next one is kind of important... um..." Ruby stammered. "Do you... want to go out... on a date?"

Weiss didn't even hesitate. "Yes. I would love to Ruby."

The crimsonette blinked. "Really? That's great!" She burst. "So, maybe tomorrow?"

Weiss nodded, a smile on her face. "That sounds wonderful. I look forward to it."

"Now I'm excited!" Ruby gushed. "But there's one more thing! Since we didn't do it earlier, I was wondering if you wanted to take that shower now?"

Weiss thought for a moment. During the lesson they had discussed the more _intimate_ parts of the relationship, which... _excited_ her to say the least. The talk about Blake as well as her walk helped with that, so showering with Ruby should be fine. Right? "I would like that."

Weiss severely underestimated how she truly felt about the situation. And now there was no turning back.

As if she could ever say no to that face, and those curves... oh gods she was looking at them again, every movement Ruby took made some part of her jiggle, or bounce, or just looked... Weiss had to avert her gaze, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Weiss, are you ready?" Ruby asked.

Weiss offered a silent prayer to whatever maidens were listening, and turned around with a smile. "Yes Ruby." She tried not to oogle as she entered the shower, and received a perfect excuse as the hot water rained upon her, the heat temporarily shocking her from thought.

Until Ruby's bare breasts made contact with her back.

"Can I wash your hair?" Ruby offered as burning arms wrapped around her.

"Yes Ruby, you may." Was not what she should have said, but it was such a reasonable request... Ruby just wanted to make her feel good. Even if she was making her feel a little _too_ good at the moment.

It was torture how gentle her touch was, massaging the shampoo into her scalp, washing it out with gentle caresses, it was driving her insane with desire. She wanted to be touched so badly, but it was far too soon, far too soon to go so far. Ruby deserved better, they both deserved more time, they hadn't even had a proper date yet... yes, a date, the date, to set their relationship onto a proper track, every relationship needed a first date.

She could wait for that at least.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, announcement time!
> 
> Number 1! Over the next couple of weeks my schedule is *awful* so I'm gonna take a bit of a break, so the next chapter will be out mid-late August.  
> I won't stop writing, it'll just be less frequent :(
> 
> Number 2! Here's the special one. After this story is finished, I will be writing 3 side stories for Aftercare! :D  
> I mean, I hope that's exciting, I'm excited. The stories will be focused on some stuff that didn't really fit into the main one. So, stay tuned for more announcements on that!
> 
> Number 3! Because my schedule is gonna be terrible for a little bit, the next chapter is gonna be extra long! I mean like, longest chapter to date kinda long. So you know, get excited! I know I am! Got lots to cover!
> 
> As always, your feedback fuels me! :D


	10. Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today was the day, and Weiss could barely contain her excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am again, very late. But it's here! A big ass length-of-2-chapters chapter!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy, and there's an important announcement at the end.

Winter hated Mondays.

Not only was it the beginning of a new work week, but it also meant absurdly early mornings and sometimes very late nights. With her Face still buried in pillows, Winter reached over to her night stand, fumbling for her scroll. Eventually locating it, she shifted onto her side and turned the device on... immediately being blinded by the screen. Winter cursed herself for forgetting to dim the brightness the prior night. Once she adjusted it, she could not help but smile. The lock screen picture was of Weiss, and herself. They had taken a vacation during Solstice together. It was always a morale booster for Winter, whenever she felt like her life was in a slump, she could look at it and realize everything she had suffered was worth enduring for that smile. All in all, Winter was overjoyed her younger sister was home, even if it was due to a bad situation.

Putting the scroll to sleep, Winter was about to put it down before she stopped, realizing what she forgot to do. Turning the device back on, she checked the time.

**5:17 AM**

Winter sighed. Was she not able to be woken up by her alarm like a normal person? Apparently not. _Well, since I'm awake, might as well get started_. Pulling herself out of bed, the ivory-haired woman was immediately met with the first displeasure of her day; leg pains. Limping into the bathroom, she downed a couple pain killers along with some water before making her way back to her bed.

Every day for the past five years Winter endured chronic pain, stinging, spiking internal agony, her brain firing signals that would find the muscles they sought. It was ironic really, that what was absent caused her the most pain. Thankfully, massaging and stretching tended to lessen the ordeal - until the painkillers kicked in - but they were only temporary measures. The pain would always come back. Once it had subsided enough to walk Winter returned to the bathroom for a quick and hopefully quiet shower.

It was an odd feeling, having to be quiet in the morning. The last time anyone else was in the apartment was over half a year ago when Weiss came back from Beacon to spend Solstice with Winter. Now there were _four_ other people living in the house, including her sister. Well they were not _living_ with her, per se. Winter was not sure how long Kali and Ilia would be staying, and even less sure about Ruby, but she knew it was not a permanent arrangement, as nice as that would be. She liked having the others around the apartment... she did not have to be alone that way... at least for the time being... Winter sighed, shaking the thoughts away as she placed her pajamas onto the bathroom counter, and stepped into the shower.

Normally there was no time for breakfast, as Winter's usual morning schedule consisted of waking up, showering, getting ready, and leaving for work. Some days there was time to make coffee, but more often than not she just bought it on the commute. Today however, she was going to have a nice breakfast, courtesy of amazing cooking of Kali Belladonna. Just thinking about it made Winter's stomach rumble, so she quickly finished up her shower and made her way to the kitchen.

Opening the fridge door, Winter expected to find a few plastic containers of leftovers from over the weekend, but instead found more food than she could possibly know what to do with. Okay _maybe_ she was exaggerating, but it was still a lot of food. After searching through the various boxes, Winter decided on some scrambled eggs and a waffle. Even cold it smelled delicious. She would have warmed it up in the microwave, but Winter did not want to risk it with the loud noises of the machine. After placing her food on the kitchen table, she poured herself a glass of water, as making coffee was not an option. _I suppose I'll stop to get some on the way to work._ Winter thought as she sat down at the kitchen table.

As Winter expected, the food tasted as good as it smelled. Unfortunately she had forgotten to ask Kali about that "secret technique" for preparing leftovers, but it was all delicious nonetheless. Once Winter was finished her breakfast, she loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and retreated back to her room to get changed. She chose something simple, as she always did for work - a white formal blouse and grey dress pants. Loose enough to make sitting at her desk comfortable, while tight enough to hug her curves. Even Winter maintained a sense of vanity. It was one of the few things she could feel confident in anymore. As Winter grabbed her scroll from her nightstand, she spotted the scarf Sienna bought her hanging one of the closet doors.

Sienna... Damn that woman for being so... distracting! Even _days_ after meeting her, she refused to leave Winter's thoughts. And the infuriating part was not even that Sienna kept getting on her mind, it was the fact that Winter wanted to keep thinking about her. It was... conflicting to say the least. On one hand, that woman burrowed beneath her psych like a worm, wriggling and irritating her sensibilities... but on the other... she liked it. Being around someone so... _unique_ was honestly a welcome change. Plus, she actually enjoyed wearing the scarf. It was... comforting... in a purely literal manner of course, the silk was so fine it seemed to flow across her skin like pure water. She attempted to avoid wearing it the prior day, but Winter did not want to be the type of person who accepts a gift like that just to never wear it. Plus, she actually enjoyed wearing the scarf. It was... comforting. Grabbing the piece of fabric off the door, Winter wrapped it around her neck before heading to the front of the apartment, where she grabbed her cane, slipped on her shoes, and quietly exited.

 

* * *

 

As Winter pulled into a free parking spot, she sighed. How was it that even when she took her time, she _still_ arrived at work early? Probably a side effect of unintentionally rushing through her morning routine, as well as the lack of traffic due to how early it was. Shifting into park and turning off the car, Winter grabbed her purse, cane, and the coffee she purchased on the drive over before exiting the vehicle and making her way to the building. Idly gazing at the other cars as she walked - or limped - she noticed a rather familiar-looking vehicle. Faded blue colour, a couple scratches near the bottom of the driver's side door, a slight crack on the back left window, and the license plate...

**BNWN-001**

_Shit._

There goes any chance of Winter having a pleasant day.

Entering the building and limping her way to her desk, Winter laid eyes upon the second displeasure of her day - a certain person who was currently sitting in her chair. Qrow Branwen. He smiled upon seeing Winter.

“Morning Ice Queen.”

"Branwen, get out of my chair." Winter scoffed.

"Nice scarf." Qrow added, attempting to change the topic.

"It was a gift. Now _get out of my chair_." Winter growled.

“But this one’s comfier.” Qrow defended.

"Then buy your own." Winter suggested. "I'll send you the store page."

“Why buy one when I can just use yours?” Qrow wondered.

"Because I am currently in a good mood, you do not want to change that." The ivory-haired woman warned.

Qrow raised his hands in defeat. “Oh well I surrender then, here is your chair Miss Schnee” He said before standing to retreat to his own desk - his for the time being at least.

Winter smirked. "Good boy." She said as she took her seat, placing her half-empty coffe on her desk.

“Does that mean I get a treat?” Qrow joked, to which Winter just scoffed. "Fine, I'll just treat myself." He stated as he pulled out his flask.

“What have I told you about drinking while you’re working here?” Winter questioned.

"Blah blah something or other." Qrow jested.

Winter narrowed her eyes. “Put. The flask. Away.”

"Never."

“If you get drunk again I swear I will make sure you never get work here again.” Winter warned, to which Qrow chuckled.

"You'd miss me."

Winter rolled her eyes. “I severely doubt that.”

"Deep down inside that icy heart of yours there's a little part of you that loves my charming rebellious streak." Qrow jokingly claimed.

“Don’t make me laugh.” Winter huffed.

"Why not? You could use a smile or two." Qrow joked.

“I have plenty of things that make me smile, you are not one of them.” Winter deadpanned.

Qrow raised a brow. "Oh yeah? Something _other_ than Goodwick's praise can make you smile?"

"Good _witch_ , and yes." Winter clarified.

"Then why don't you tell me about 'em?" Qrow requested.

“Because they are none of your business.” Winter defended, attempting to return to her work.

"Well then, I'll just go back to the one thing in this place that can make _me_ smile." Qrow grinned, fishing his flask out of his jacket pocket once again.

The ivory-haired woman sighed. "You're a functional alcoholic."

“And you’re uptight.” Qrow shot.

"Because I have to deal with imbeciles such as you on a near daily basis." Winter snapped.

Qrow chuckled. “Oh I’ll be sure to tell Goodwick you said that.”

"It's Good _witch_ Branwen." Winter growled. "She is one of the single most respectable individuals I have met in my life. So do feel free, she will know _exactly_ of whom I speak."

"Well that's no fun. But she's still pretty hot, wouldn’t ya say?” Qrow smirked.

Winter just clicked her tongue. "Pig."

“Hey I’m just appreciating her beauty.” Qrow defended, throwing his hands up in mock-defeat.

Rolling her eyes, Winter scoffed. "Oh I'm sure you appreciate her, I just doubt it's her _beauty_ you're truly appreciating."

“I appreciate all parts of a woman, from her personality to her rack.” Qrow explained quite proudly.

"Why am I constantly penned with you?" Winter groaned, to which Qrow chuckled.

“Because the higher ups know you love me.”

"Just get to work." Winter grumbled. Qrow just saluted before... actually turning on his computer. At least now Winter could focus on her own work... until he inevitably bothered her again. On the bright side, Winter did not have to deal with Qrow's antics every day, as he was merely a contract worker... that for some reason was always paired with her. It was something she should ask Ms. Goodwitch about at some point. For now, there was work to do.

Thankfully, Winter was left to her own devices, at least for a while. After just over an hour of peace and quiet, she felt her scroll buzz in her pocket. Pulling the device free, Winter was greeted with something she was not expecting.

 **Sienna Khan**  
[Text Message]

Winter quirked a brow. _What could she have to say to me at eight in the morning?_ She wondered to herself. _Probably a "Good morning beautiful" or something equally as cheesy._ Opening the message, Winter found it was a photo attachment... one she wished she opened somewhere else.

The photo was a portrait of Sienna... naked... at least that is how she appeared to be due to what was being shown. From the tops of her modest breasts to her devilish smile and her... captivating golden eyes, her dark complexion was bathed in the morning sunlight. It was... _beautiful_. Looking a bit closer, Winter could also see a caption below the image, which made her face heat up.

 **Sienna** : _Woke up this morning thinking of you XOXO_

"Would you look at that, _Winter Schnee_ is blushing." Qrow jested, snapping Winter out of her slight daze.

Quickly putting her scroll to sleep, she shot Qrow a dirty look. "Shut your trap Branwen." Winter snapped before turning back to her work. For the next several minutes, she attempted to focus, but could not get that image of Sienna out of her head. She wanted to reply, but her desk was not the best place to be responding to what was essentially a nude picture. Winter needed a place where she could be alone, or at least text in peace. Idly gazing around the office, she was able to spot the break room. Perfect.

Locking her computer, mostly so Qrow does not meddle with it, Winter grabbed her cane and made her way to the break room. Once there, Winter pulled out her scroll to write as response to Sienna's text.

 **Winter** : _What the hell are you doing sending me an image like that while I am at work??_

It was not long before Winter received a reply.

 **Sienna** : _And a good morning to you my dear. Did you enjoy my selfie?_

 **Winter** : _It doesn't matter if I enjoyed it or not! Do not send me stuff like that while I'm at work!_

 **Sienna** : _Well I'm glad to know all my hard work of trying to get it right for you didn't go to waste ;)_

Winter could feel her face heating up once again. How was it that Sienna was able to fluster her so easily? No other man nor woman has _ever_ been able to have the same effect on Winter, let alone within _three_ days. She sighed. _Maybe I should see a therapist._ Winter thought as she went to put her scroll away. But before she could do so, it buzzed again. _Probably another flirty remark._

Winter was very wrong.

It was another picture. One that showed Sienna lying across her bed, naught but a single silken sheet to cover her shame. The Faunus was making a mockery of trying, Winter could clearly see her... peaks poking through the sheet, the outline of her alluring body... Winter audibly swallowed. Just like the previous one, Sienna wore a devilish smile, and her eyes... her beautiful golden eyes... Winter felt like she could just get lost in them...

Someone suddenly clearing their throat from behind Winter snapped her out of her daze. Spinning around, she found her boss Glynda standing behind her.

"Ms. Goodwitch!" Winter gasped. "I- uh... I was just... someone... um..."

Glynda just smiled. "Relax Winter, you're not in trouble Winter. You're just blocking the coffee pot."

Winter blinked, turning her head to look behind her. She was indeed blocking the coffee pot. "Oh... I apologize..." She stammered, stepping away from the counter to move to one of the tables.

"I always tell you there's no reason to be so nervous around me." Glynda assured as she filled her mug with coffee.

"I know... You just... startled me is all." Winter admitted.

"Well, I will try to to be less... _surprising_ next time." Glynda informed before leaving the room. As soon as she was out of sight, Winter opened her messages back up.

 **Winter** : _I swear, I'm going to block you._

 **Sienna** : _Why thank you! I think this one turned out quite well. I'm glad you liked it._

 **Winter** : _You're so lewd._

 **Sienna** : _Can't say I've heard anyone use the word 'lewd' since Ilia went through her anime phase. But if you think that's lewd, you would never survive in Menagerie._

 **Winter** : _Just put some clothes on._

There was no response for several minutes. _Hopefully that woman was dressing herself._ Winter thought as she idly waited for a reply. Soon enough, her scroll buzzed again, showing another message from Sienna. _Let's see if I'm going to regret opening this._

A third selfie, and luckily, Sienna was dressed. The top-down photo showed she was wearing the same red and black kimono she wore on the day they met... though there was _considerably_ more cleavage showing. _At least she's not still naked._ Winter thought as a small blush crept its way onto her face. Even when dressed, that woman found a way to make herself look just as captivating. After getting lost staring at those golden eyes... again, Winter noticed there was a caption.

 **Sienna** : _Look, all dressed!_

 **Winter** : _At least you tried._

No response came after that. Maybe Sienna decided to actually move on with her day and stop sending those... images, as alluring as they were. Putting away her scroll, Winter looked up. She was in the break room, might as well get herself some good coffee. Grabbing a mug from the cabinet, she filled it with coffee before moving to the fridge to retrieve the milk carton marked with her name. Winter was not exactly sure how it started, but she always preferred to bring her own milk to work. As she picked up the carton however, she noticed it was lighter than before. Winter sighed. She could never figure out who kept using it. The culprit _must_ know it was hers since it was marked with her name, yet they continue to use it anyway. No matter, Winter would find them eventually, it was only milk after all. Once she added it to her coffee, she returned the carton to its place and moved back to the counter to add one more thing. Milk and a single sugar, just how Winter liked it. Before she could leave to return to her desk, her scroll buzzed once more, so she instead chose to sit at one of the tables.

 **Sienna** : _Are you free tonight?_

That was fast. It had only been two days since their last date.

 **Winter** : _I should be home by 7:30, so long as the traffic isn't terrible._

 **Sienna** : _Wonderful! How does picking you up at 8 sound?_

 **Winter** : _It sounds fine. Where are you planning on taking me?_

 **Sienna** : _It's a surprise ;)_

That did not exactly instill confidence.

 **Winter** : _Of course it is. I'll see you then, I need to get back to work._

 **Sienna** : _I'll be counting the minutes until I do._

Once again, that woman made Winter's face heat up with a single sentence, and she did not even speak a single word! It was a text! Even so, it made Winter smile. This time she was actually looking forward to their date, as much as she would probably deny it later. Putting her scroll away, she grabbed her coffee and made her way back to her desk.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a smile that big on your face Schnee." Qrow sarcastically observed as Winter sat down. "What, did Goodwick high five you or something?"

Winter just rolled her eyes. She did not have time to deal with Qrow's sarcasm if she wanted to make it home early.

She had a date to prepare for.

 

* * *

 

 

Today was the day, and Weiss could barely contain her excitement. Ever since Ruby asked her out the prior day, it was on Weiss' mind. She even dreamed about it! Although, that dream was a lot more... _inappropriate_ than Weiss would like to admit. Thankfully she did not wake up groping Ruby for the third morning in a row...

For the most part, the rest of the time leading up to their date was relatively uninteresting, except for her shower with Ruby, where Weiss was _barely_ able to keep her hands off her friend. Those beautiful silver eyes... that gorgeous smile... those perfect breasts... that shapely rear... it all drove Weiss crazy.

It was interesting to think about how much the pair's relationship had changed over just the span of a few days. Last week, Ruby was Weiss' best friend, now... she was her mistress... well, at least her _future_ mistress, as they have not _done_ anything like that yet. But ever since their last lesson, Weiss had be thinking about it... what it would be like to have Ruby dominating her... throwing her down, straddling her face, riding her until she was spent... it drove her absolutely _insane_. Though Weiss could just daydream about it all day, it was time to prepare for their date.

For the sake of "the surprise" as Ruby put it, the pair elected to get ready in separate rooms. Weiss took her own room while Ruby brought her suitcase to Winter's room to change there. Now all she had to do was choose an outfit... out of the three that were currently laid out on her bed. The first was the most casual of the bunch - a white button-up with a light pink undershirt, and dark blue skinny jeans. The next one was rather... _adventurous_ compared to Weiss' usual attire. It included a light blue singlet top and a pair of white short-shorts. The revealing nature of the outfit was only further accentuated by the black thong she picked out. It was not something that Weiss would normally wear, but she wanted to show off a bit for Ruby. Finally there was a sundress. It had a gradient design, starting with white on the top, ending with blue on the bottom. It was lower-cut, but not enough to be considered revealing. Weiss stared down at the three outfits, unsure of which to pick, she liked them all. The question was, what kind of style did she want to go with? Casual, more formal, or kind of improper? Now that Weiss thought about it, the casual outfit seemed like something she would wear everyday, and she did not want to overwhelm Ruby with the adventurous outfit... so the sundress it was.

After changing, Weiss admired herself in the mirror. It was not the nicest dress she owned, but all the others were designed for more formal events. Overall, she thought the sundress was a perfect choice for the day, and even though Weiss was retiring the _adventurous_ outfit for another occasion, she still decided to wear the thong. It was... exciting to say the least, to combine that kind of underwear with a knee-length dress. _I wonder what Ruby would think if she saw them... No. Bad Weiss. Appropriate thoughts. Finish getting ready._

In terms of her hair, Weiss wanted to do something special with it, but at the same time, it was always cumbersome and irritating to work with. Eventually she settled on a side swept ponytail, simple, practical, but still attractive. As for makeup, Weiss did not wear _nearly_ as much as she used to back when she lived in Atlas. Having a father such as Jacques Schnee meant a lot of formal events, which meant getting _dolled up_ quite often. The makeup was not exactly the worst part, Weiss just preferred a _lot_ less of it. Most days she would just wear simple lip gloss, but today was special. In addition to lip gloss, she also applied subtle eye shadow and blush. Sure, it was nothing _extravagant_ , but Weiss did not want to go crazy with makeup. As much as she wanted to go _au naturel_ , she lacked confidence in her appearance. Ruby glowed without even a hint of lipstick, all Weiss saw in the mirror was plain and bland.

Once Weiss was finished with her makeup, she exited the bathroom and made her way to the living area. Once there, she froze. Not out of fear, but shock. Sitting on the couch next to Kali was Ruby, and she looked... _amazing_. The red button-up was a looser fit, but it was still tight enough to show off her _assets_. Weiss had to try her hardest to not audibly swallow at the sight of that alone. The black capri pants Ruby had on were not helping either, as their close-fitting style only further accentuated her curves. _Appropriate thoughts Weiss, appropriate thoughts._ Upon seeing the heiress, Ruby's face lit up, as she jumped up from the couch to meet her.

"Weiss!" The crimsonette beamed. "You look so pretty!"

Weiss smiled. "Thank you Ruby. You look beautiful as well." She noticed an unfamiliar silver pendant around her friends neck, shaped like a sun. She raised her brow at her. "Where did you get that pendant? I've never seen you wear one like that before."

Ruby looked down at the necklace. " Oh this? It was a birthday gift from my mom. It's only a _special occasion_ kinda thing, so I don't really wear it often."

"Well it looks great on you." Weiss praised, to which Ruby blushed.

"So, are you two ready to go?" Kali spoke up, raising from the couch.

Ruby nodded. "Are you ready Weiss?" To which the heiress grinned.

"Since the moment you asked me."

 

* * *

 

As Kali pulled her car up to the front of Twin Pines Mall, she turned to smile at the couple in the back seat. "Here we are!"

"Thank you very much Kali." Weiss smiled back.

"Thanks for the ride!" Ruby grinned as she reached to open the door.

"Oh it's no problem at all girls!" Kali assured. "You two have fun! And text me when you're ready to be picked up!" She called as the pair exited the vehicle.

"We will!" Weiss answered, closing the car door behind her. Turning to face her friend, she caught a glimpse of something that made her mouth nearly drop open. Ruby's butt in those tight pants. _Wow_. As Weiss' eyes drank in the sight, Ruby spun around, snapping her out of the slight daze.

"Were you... staring at my butt?" Ruby wondered, a slight blush forming on her face.

Weiss blinked, her cheeks beginning to tint pink as well. "I'm sorry... it just... _looks really good in those pants_..."

Ruby quirked a brow. "It does?" She turned back to look at her rear. "I would've thought it looks worse. I haven't actually worn these in a while. I've uh... I've gained a few pounds since I bought them..."

"Ruby, they look great. _You_ look great." Weiss assured her friend with a smile.

The crimsonette's blushed deepened. "You're just saying that, you look ten times better than me."

"Are we _really_ going to argue over who's prettier?" Weiss inquired, stifling a chuckle.

"Well it wouldn't be an argument because you're _obviously_ the better looking one here." Ruby explained.

Weiss rolled her eyes, unable to suppress a smile. "Let's just go inside, I don't want there to be any chance of this wind messing up my-" A sudden gust of wind interrupted the heiress as it blew her ponytail directly into her face. "-hair." She huffed. "Speaking of which, you have no idea how much of a burden long hair can be sometimes."

"Is it really that bad?" Ruby asked as the pair entered the mall. "I've always really liked it."

"It's infuriating." Weiss declared before sighing. "But... it's what Father preferred..."

"Your father made you keep your hair that long?" Ruby inquired.

Weiss nodded. "He expected Winter and I to be perfect, and _perfect girls had perfect hair_... among countless other things..." She explained, running a hand through the ivory locks. "It was all I could manage... hence why it's so long, even if it is impractical." She slowed her pace, gaze falling. "It's the only thing I really have going for me..."

Ruby then stopped, prompting the heiress to stop as well. "Weiss... you think your hair is the only thing you have going for you?"

"I... I don't know..." Weiss mumbled, unable to meet Ruby's gaze. "Other than my hair, no other part of my body is really... _notable_. My face is bland without at least a small amount of makeup, I lack any sort of curvy figure, my chest size feels so inadequate compared to Blake, or Pyrrha, or Yang, or even you..." Suddenly she felt hands gently grasp her own. Looking up, the ivory-haired girl saw Ruby's silver eyes staring into her own.

"Please don't say things like that about yourself..." Ruby pled. "I know you don't think so, but you _are_ perfect. You're perfect to me." She encouraged.

"I'm... perfect?" Weiss echoed.

"You're perfect." Ruby assured. "From your head all the way down to your toes. Every little part of you is perfect to me, not just your hair."

Weiss hesitated for a moment. "I... Thank you Ruby..." She smiled. "I just wish it wasn't so long..."

"Why don't you get it cut?" Ruby wondered.

The heiress sighed. "I've always wanted to... I just couldn't. After being told my hair should be like this for so long, it just felt... _routine_. Knowing that there was one less thing my father would berate me for... was comforting... I felt like if I changed it, I would lose the one thing I had..."

"Weiss, you would look beautiful no matter what you did with your hair." Ruby encouraged.

"But... what would I even do with it?" Weiss wondered, running a hand through her ponytail.

"Well, what would you wanna do with it?" The crimsonette inquired.

Weiss thought for a moment. What _did_ she want to do with her hair? She found it irritating, but she had no idea what kind of alternatives would fit her. Maybe Weiss could take inspiration from one of her friends. Yang, Blake, Pyrrha nor Ilia would be much help, as their hair was not much shorter than her own. But Ruby or Nora on the other hand... something like that could work...

"What about... something like yours?" Weiss asked.

Ruby blinked. "You want your hair to be like mine?"

"Well maybe a bit longer than that." Weiss clarified. "But if it was that short, I wouldn't have to spend nearly as much time taking care of it, and I could still style it the way I want."

Ruby did not respond immediately, she just stared at her friend, picturing what she would look like with shorter hair... and she liked it. "I think you would look amazing ."

"Really?" Weiss balked.

"Of course!" Ruby gushed. "I can imagine it now, you'd look so cute!"

"Thank you Ruby." Weiss smiled, her cheeks reddening.

After walking in silence for a few minutes, the pair arrived at the in-mall movie theatre. Once there, Weiss looked up to the movie list to find the one they planned to see.

**A Mistrali Sunrise ~~11:45am~~     3:30pm    6:45pm    10:00pm**

Narrowing her eyes, Weiss pulled out her scroll.

**2:43 PM**

"Looks like we're a little early." Weiss pointed out, showing her scroll to her friend.

"Hehe, whoops. Guess I was a little impatient." Ruby admitted, rubbing the back of her head.

"Don't worry Ruby, I was fairly impatient as well." Weiss chuckled. "Let's just go sit down at the food court while we wait."

"Sounds good!" Ruby chirped as the two made their way towards the food court.

As the pair arrived and sat down, Weiss' scroll buzzed from her purse. Pulling the device out of her bag, she opened it to find a text from Pyrrha.

 **Pyrrha** : _Hello Weiss! How are you doing today?_

 **Weiss** : _Good afternoon Pyrrha. I am doing quite well thanks, how are you?_

 **Pyrrha** : _Wonderful! I am also doing very well! Are you busy at the moment? Do you mind if I call you?_

Weiss looked to her friend. "Do you mind if Pyrrha calls?"

"Of course not!" Ruby quickly responded. "I wanna say hi!"

 **Weiss** : _Not at all, It would be nice to hear your voice again._

Immediately Weiss' scroll rang. "Hello Pyrrha." She greeted.

"Hello!" Pyrrha's voice answered. "Are you sure you're not busy?"

"Hi Pyrrha!" Ruby burst.

"Was that Ruby?" Pyrrha asked. "Tell her I say hi!"

"Yes it was." Weiss confirmed before turning to her friend. "Pyrrha says hi back." She turned her attention back to the call. "We're out at the mall right now... on a date." A gasp could be heard from the other side.

"That's great!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "How did it happen??"

There was _no_ way Weiss was going to tell Pyrrha that she and Ruby _showered_ together, but at the same time, she was not going to lie to her. "We were... spending time together and she just asked, and you and I both know you can't simply say 'no' to Ruby."

"You're very correct about that Weiss." Pyrrha chuckled. "Speaking of _asking out_ , there is some news I would like to share with you."

Weiss quirked a brow, which unfortunately Pyrrha could not see. "Oh? Do share." She encouraged.

There was a brief pause before Pyrrha responded. "Well... not long after our text I was spending time with Nora, Ren approached us and... just asked me out."

Weiss blinked. "Hold on, he what?"

Pyrrha let out a nervous laugh. "He asked me out Weiss. It's crazy I know, but it happened. We're going to lunch tomorrow!"

"That's amazing Pyrrha, I'm really happy for you." Weiss congratulated.

"What happened?" Ruby piped up.

"Ren asked out Pyrrha." Weiss informed.

"He did?? That's awesome!" Ruby cheered. "We should all go out on a double date sometime!"

The heiress smiled. "That sounds like a fun idea. Pyrrha did you hear that?"

"I did." Pyrrha answered. "And I agree, that could most certainly be fun."

"Maybe you can talk to Ren about it on your date." Weiss suggested.

"I will see what he thinks about the idea and get back to you." Pyrrha replied.

"That sounds good." Weiss smiled.

Before Pyrrha could say anything else, a few knocks could be heard coming from her side. "Oh, That must be Nora! She and Neon are taking me clothes shopping today, they don't think anything from my current wardrobe is _date-ready_."

Weiss chuckled. "Well some of it could be considered a tad bland... _much like your underwear_."

"Hey!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "I told you my underwear isn't boring!"

"Certainly isn't exciting though." Weiss jested. "Don't forget my offer to buy you lingerie is still on the table."

"I will... consider it." Pyrrha hesitantly answered. "Anyways, I should go now. It was nice talking to you, enjoy your date!"

"Thank you Pyrrha, have a good shopping trip." Weiss hummed.

"Bye Pyrrha!" Ruby added before the heiress hung up and put away her scroll. "So what now?"

"Would you like to go get popcorn and find our seats?" Weiss inquired.

"Yes please!" Ruby burst. "I've been craving theatre popcorn since yesterday!"

"Then let's go." The heiress smiled as the pair stood and headed back to the theatre.

As expected, Ruby bought a large popcorn - _covered_ in butter - and paired with the must sugary drink available - a raspberry slushie. Weiss on the other hand chose a small popcorn with a bottle of water. The crimsonette offered to share her popcorn if Weiss finished hers, but the ivory-haired girl insisted it was unlikely that she would. Once the two had their refreshments, they went to find their seats. Since it was still relatively early in the afternoon, the auditorium was fairly empty, so they had their choice of seats. Ruby attempted to give Weiss the choice of where to sit, she assured her friend she did not care where they sat. Eventually, they settled on the back, Ruby said it had the best view. As they sat down, Weiss could only imagine what they could do back there...

 _No, bad Weiss. You're in public. Keep your thoughts at least relatively appropriate._ The heiress told herself.

Overall, the movie was fairly generic for a romantic comedy, and a bit boring at times... which would explain why the theatre stayed moderately empty. Even though the relatively interesting characters were somewhat held down by the _run of the mill_ story set out of them, it still put Weiss in that _romance-y_ mood. Turning to face Ruby, she found a pair of silver eyes staring at her.

"Ruby? Are you ok?" Weiss wondered.

Ruby's mouth opened slightly, as if bordering on words, before closing. Instead she licked her lips, and swallowed. "I'd really like to kiss you Weiss." She admitted, somewhat guiltily. Weiss could only grin, her cheeks warming as her heart beat fondly for her newfound partner.

"I'd really like that too." Weiss whispered, leaning over to meet Ruby in a small, gentle kiss... and another, and another, their lips barely separating. It was intoxicating. They were in public, in a dark theatre, someone could see them! Anyone could see them, making out passionately, shamelessly... she shuddered, pressing firmer against the pleasurable sensations, arms wrapping around one another. It was slightly awkward considering their position, but that was far from Weiss' mind, lost in a haze of warmth and wetness, _in more than one area_. In a leap of lust her tongue slipped against Ruby's lips, the girl flinched, only barely, before clumsily responding.

It felt much the same as... no, not here, not now, _Ruby_ , focus on Ruby. This was her day, _their_ day, their first date, their first time making out, with tongue no less. Gods Ruby felt like she was melting beneath her like butter, delicious and creamy, she could have lost herself in the sensations forever, where she not suddenly aware of a tickling sensation on her breast.

"U-Uh!" Weiss gasped.

Ruby's eyes went wide, her fingers withdrawing from the soft mound. "Sorry! Sorry, was that too far? I wasn't sure what to do with my hands and I didn't really think about what you were comfortable with-"

"Shhh..." Weiss pressed a finger across Ruby's lips, the girl obeyed, and Weiss looked around for spectators. It seemed the theatre's lighting had hidden them from view, that or any individuals that may have been spying were no longer doing so. "It's alright Ruby, you just... surprised me."

"Are... are you sure?" The crimsonette stammered, to which Weiss nodded. "Okay... it's just I've never really been able to do any of this before... and it's exciting, like, _really exciting_... I just got ahead of myself... I'm sorry..."

The heiress smiled, reaching over to gently cup her partner's cheek. "Ruby it's ok... I may not be ready for that sort of thing in public..." Weiss admitted before leaning closer. "But maybe it can be something we do... _at home_..." She whispered, causing Ruby's eyes to go wide again.

"Um, Can we go home now?" Ruby requested, a blush quickly growing on her face.

Weiss chuckled. "After the movie is finished."

Ruby blinked. "Oh yeah."

 

* * *

 

 

Ilia was in heaven.

For the first time since before the whole situation with Weiss, she was able to spend some intimate time with her lover. Well, the _personal_ kind of intimate, not the _sexual_ kind. They were not going to have sex in someone else's apartment! They merely cuddled on the couch, Kali lying back, stroking Ilia's hair as she snuggled into her chest. It was... relieving to say the least. To finally be able to spend time like this after days of keeping each other at arm's length. It made Ilia breathe a heavy sigh into her lover's chest.

"Is something the matter sweetheart?" Kali asked, ceasing the petting.

Steel-blue eyes met gold as Ilia lifted herself off of the older woman. "Do you think... we should tell Ruby and Weiss about _us_?"

"Do you wish to tell them?" Kali inquired. "Remember, we do this at _your_ pace."

"I want to, I'm just... scared." Ilia admitted.

"Scared that they will judge you?" The older woman guessed.

The brunette sighed. "I know mom supports us, and Winter doesn't really care, but...what if Ruby and Weiss don't approve of us? What if they find our relationship... shameful?"

"Do _you_ find our relationship shameful?" Kali inquired.

"Of course not!" Ilia gasped. "I know I was conflicted about it in the past, but I love you Kali..."

"I love you too." Kali smiled, gently cupping her partner's cheeks. "And though I do not know for certain how they will feel, I have faith that Ruby and Weiss will do their best to accept us, just as they have accepted each other in their new roles."

After a moment of silence Ilia smiled back. "Thank you mistress..."

"You're very welcome my little rainbow." Kali hummed. "We can tell them whenever you feel comfortable with it."

"Okay, that sounds good." Ilia nodded. "And... speaking of them, or I guess Weiss in particular, can I ask you something?"

"Of course dear."

"So... you remember I showed you those pictures I used to take of myself?" Ilia asked. "The uh... _sexy ones_..."

"Mhm?"

"When I was on my walk with Weiss, I uh... kinda offered to send her some..." The brunette continued.

"Oh? Was it due to the fact that she allowed Blake to send you so many of her? Kali inquired.

Ilia nodded. "As you know I haven't gotten to indulge in that fantasy in quite a while... and I like Weiss, and she obviously trusts me enough to have pictures of her sent to _me_ , So I thought I'd mention it to her." Kali smirked, raising a brow in response. "Anyways, what I wanted to ask is if you would be ok with me sending some of those images to Weiss..."

Kali's smirk turned to a smile. "I think that would be fine. In fact, if you so desire, I could help you take some new ones..." She purred, causing Ilia to tint pink.

"I... um, really?" The brunette stammered. "Are you sure you're comfortable with it?"

The older woman did not answer immediately, when she did it was in a far less chipper tone. "I'm not going to pretend that I am completely on board with you sending those kinds of pictures to a... younger woman, but at the same time I do not want to deny you this." Gently taking Ilia's hands in her own, Kali smiled. "I promised that I would support you in any way you needed me to, helping you indulge in your fantasies is part of that."

"Kali... Are you sure?" Ilia mumbled, to which her lover nodded. "Thank you..." She sniffled.

Kali gave no response, simply pulling the younger Faunus into a tender hug before planting a kiss upon her cheek. The pair would have stayed there for much longer, but Kali's scroll rang from the coffee table. Picking up the device, she found a text from Weiss.

"Looks like the girls are ready to be picked up." Kali informed. Ilia sighed in response.

"Nnnngh five more minutes."

 

* * *

 

 

The drive home was spent in relative peace, Weiss cuddled into Ruby's side as they basked in one another's warmth. As they arrived at the apartment, instead of pulling into the visitor parking lot, she drove up to the front entrance.

"What are we doing here?" Ruby asked, prompting Weiss to lift herself off of her partner.

"Well I thought you two might want a little extra time alone together, so I'm dropping you off here." Kali explained with a smile.

"Oh, uh, thanks!" Ruby chirped.

"Thank you Kali." Weiss added as Ruby opened the car door and led her out by the hand.

After the heiress closed the car door, Ilia turned to her partner. "Think we might need to clean the seat?"

Kali chuckled. "Oh hush you."

Weiss loved the fact that Ruby had not let go of her hand since leaving the theatre. With their hands still linked, the pair entered the building, making sure to say hi to Klein as they made their way to the elevators. After entering the Schnee's apartment and removing their shoes, Ruby gazed around the room, as if she was expecting something else to be there.

"What's wrong Ruby?" Weiss inquired.

"Nothing, I was just thinking, wouldn't Winter be home by now?" Ruby wondered, continuing to look around.

Weiss shook her head. "Her work load is rather heavy, so unfortunately that results in a lot of early mornings and late nights." She explained. "But on the plus side..." She started before moving closer to her partner. "We could have a nice long shower together..."

Hearing Ruby audibly swallow was adorable.

"Like right now or-" Ruby began.

"Would you _like_ to do that now?" Weiss asked, to which Ruby nervously nodded. "Then let's go." She smiled, leading her partner to the bathroom.

In truth, the following minutes were somewhat a blur to Weiss, there was a distinctly different feel to the situation, as if every moment were charged with an energy, thrumming between them, running through their linked hands. She lamented letting go, even if it was to undress. Her hands trembled as she removed her dress. One by one her clothing dropped to the floor, dull thumps from behind sending her heart into overdrive. Weiss could still feel Ruby's wandering hand on her clothed breast, warm, yet to her skin they might well have been red hot. Thrilling, frightening... _arousing_. If she was not a deviant before, she certainly was now, balling up her underwear in the hopes Ruby would not see their sodden state... An image popped into her head, a fantasy of Ruby, confident and controlling, a hungry grin as she tore the garment from her body, using it to gag her before-

"Weiss? Are you okay?"

Ruby's gentle voice grounded Weiss, as much as it warmed her heart. She turned, dropping the bundle as she did so. Bare of clothing, Ruby never ceased to take Weiss' breath away, pale, flawless skin, shapely hips, full breasts, pushed together slightly by Ruby's arms, crossed awkwardly across her stomach as she gazed at her in concern. Weiss offered a smile. "Just...lost in thought."

Ruby quirked her head. "About what?"

"You... touching me." Weiss confessed, feeling her cheeks warm, Ruby's equally blooming. "I meant it you know, I didn't mind."

"Really?" Ruby flushed even deeper as Weiss took a step closer, taking her hands into her own.

"Really... you were gentle, and warm, and I want you to know I am okay with being touched." Pulling her partner closer, Weiss placed Ruby's hands on her hips, stroking them lovingly before cupping her cheeks. "It means the world to me that you care so much... I'm sorry I never recognized it before, but you have always cared for me, and it has always been appreciated."

"Even though I was kind of annoying?"

"Everything was _kind of_ annoying Ruby, at first..." Weiss explained. "I had entered a new environment, I had bad habits to break... you helped more than you know, you all did... even Blake." Ruby's fingers tightened a portion at the mention, but Weiss pressed onward. "But now I can help you, if only in this... indulgent manner." She grinned, suppressing a shudder as Ruby's hands pulled her inward, till their chests were barely an inch apart.

"Can I kiss you?" Ruby whispered.

Weiss nodded, leaning inward. "You can do more than that." She grinned, and Ruby paused, blinking. Weiss wrapped her arms around her neck, pressing them fully together. "Don't be shy."

As their lips made contact, Ruby's hands began to inch, slowly backward. Weiss shuddered as they found her rear, inquisitive fingers gently squeezing and kneading the flesh. The heiress resisted the urge to giggle, it was more than a tiny bit ticklish, arousing as it was. Ruby seemed to be losing herself to the feelings, her kisses growing slower and sloppier... Weiss found she liked sloppy.

"Ruby, there's a bit more to me than my rear." Weiss groaned, Ruby's mouth moving to her cheek for a final wet smooch as she turned her head.

"But it's so soft..." Ruby shuddered, hiding her face in her partner's shoulder. "I'm sorry, this is just..."

"Take your time Ruby, I'm not going anywhere." Weiss smiled.

"I just love... feeling... can I try something kinda...crazy?" Ruby wondered.

Weiss nodded. "I trust you Ruby."

With another shaky breath, Ruby pulled away, hands returning to her hips for the moment as she caught her breath. It was both adorable, and incredibly touching how nervous Ruby was. She could do anything she wanted, and Weiss would allow it, there was nothing Ruby was capable of doing that could phase her... or so she thought. The crimsonette leaned down, staring at Weiss' small breasts, breath hot upon their skin. Finally coming to a decision, she planted a kiss upon Weiss' left nipple.

She was wrong, such a simple act very much phased Weiss. Especially as Ruby seemed to gain some confidence, another kiss joined the first, longer, less timid, a third upon the underside of the small mound before Ruby finally seemed to crumple to her knees, hugging herself against Weiss' stomach, arms wrapping around her legs for security.

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked, kneeling down to meet Ruby's gaze.

Ruby slowly nodded. "Y-Yeah... just... woah."

"Are you _sure_ you want to shower together right now?" The heiress wondered.

Ruby thought for a moment. "Um... if it's ok with you... I'd like to go lie down..."

"Of course it's ok Ruby." Weiss smiled. "I think I could use a nap as well."

 

* * *

 

 

_Relax. It's just a date._

Winter could not believe she had to tell herself that.

Throughout the _entire_ day, her mind was flooded with thoughts of Sienna. Those alluring eyes... that devilish smile... her near perfect body... Wait a second. Was Winter developing... an _attraction_ to that woman? No, no of course not. She was just using her gorgeous looks to get under her skin... That had to be it.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Winter turned her attention back to the bed full of clothes... from which she was trying to find something to wear. She sighed. Last time was so much easier! The outfit she wore for the previous date was just a spontaneous choice, with little thought or consideration in mind. It was not even picked out _for_ the date. Now there were _dozens_ of possibilities to choose from... with not a lot of time to spare. So Winter sifted through the various articles of clothing, attempting to find something acceptable.

Short-sleeved shirt and jeans... too casual. Dress... _way_ too formal, and Winter was not one to show off her legs. Tank top with a cardigan and jeans... could work, but she wore that on the last date. Crop top and- wait, crop top? Where the hell did she get that? Winter shook her head - a problem for another day. As she continued to search through the pile of clothes, two things caught her eye - a white short-sleeved button up and a pair of baby blue capri pants. Not too casual, not too formal... it was good enough. She just hoped Sienna would liked it.

Thankfully after choosing an outfit, getting ready was not much of an issue. In order to avoid a similar situation, Winter elected to keep her hair as it was. As for makeup, it was rare that she wore any, usually preferring to go _au naturel_ , but this was a special occasion... At least _relatively_ special, Winter did not exactly go out on dates that often. After a little thought, she decided on a little eye shadow and some simple lip gloss. Nothing crazy, just enough to make her feel like it made a difference. Once Winter was ready, the only thing left for her to do was wait until Sienna arrived, which thankfully she did not have to do for long.

"Winter!" Kali called from the living area. "I think your date is here!"

The ivory-haired woman could not help but chuckle to herself. _She sounds like she should be on a sitcom right now._

After grabbing her scarf from her bed, Winter exited her room. What greeted her in the front hall was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Standing at the door talking to Kali was Sienna, and she looked amazing... as much as Winter would deny it if she was asked. Though dressed in the sleeveless red and black kimono she wore the day they met - the same one she was wearing earlier - she seemed... _different_. Her golden eyes were decorated with black eyeliner wings, and her soft lips with chocolate brown lipstick. Upon spotting Winter, those lips curled into a smile.

"Well hello beautiful." The dark-skinned woman purred.

"Good evening Sienna." Winter greeted, attempting to keep her expression neutral.

"Ready to go?" Sienna inquired.

"As I'll ever be." Winter flatly answered.

Sienna held out her hand. "Shall we?" To which the younger woman rolled her eyes.

"Nice try." Winter deadpanned. "No uneven ground here."

Sienna grinned, keeping her hand up. "I know."

Wait, if she was not teasing her, then why did she want to hold hands... oh. Winter felt her face heat up at the thought. "I... suppose that would be fine." She managed.

"Wonderful." Sienna hummed, taking a step closer to the the ivory-haired woman before interlocking their fingers.

Once again, having Sienna's fingers interlocked with hers felt... safe. The warmth was reassuring. Thankfully Winter was able to fight back a smile. Looks like she would not be needing her cane. She turned to Kali. "Tell the girls I will be back later." She began before looking back at the other Faunus. "But not _too_ much later, I still have work tomorrow."

"I will!" Kali answered with a smile.

"Yes ma'am." Sienna purred.

Winter sighed. "Then let's go."

So the pair left the apartment, heading down the elevator and out of the building to Sienna's car. Like before, Sienna insisted on opening the passenger door for Winter, closing it before entering the car herself. There were several points during the car ride where she asked the Faunus where she was taking her, and each time the she was told it was a surprise. That left her with only one option - to sit and wait until they arrived.

The car ride was not terribly long, only taking about fifteen minutes. As the car pulled into a rather large parking lot, Sienna pointed out their destination.

"Here we are." The older woman informed as she pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car.

What greeted Winter was a sizable building with a bright purple neon sign above the entrace.

**Panthera**

"Sienna... what is this place?" Winter inquired.

"Let's call it... a _gentleladies club_." Sienna answered with a slight grin.

Winter narrowed her eyes at the Faunus. "You did _not_ take me to a strip club."

"Stripping is _entirely_ voluntary dear Winter, and frowned upon in public spaces." Sienna explained.

"Alright, if it's not a strip club, what is it?" Winter questioned.

"A place where those who enter can be themselves, without judgement." Sienna replied before the exiting the car. Walking around the vehicle, she opened Winter's door for her with a genuine smile - rather than her usual sly grin - and held out her hand. "Come, let me show you."

After briefly hesitating, Winter took the older woman's hand. "Very well."

Upon closer inspection, Winter noticed there was a bouncer at the front entrance, at least that was what she thought he was. The man certainly _looked_ the part. Tall and muscular, his black suit hugged his form almost like a second skin. It was... intimidating to say the least, and that was before she saw the horns atop his head. As the pair approached him, Winter expected them to be stopped, but upon seeing Sienna, the man stepped aside.

"Good evening Miss Khan." He greeted with a nod before opening the door.

"And a good evening to you too Julius." Sienna smiled as the two women entered the club.

The first thing Winter noticed was how dark the main room was, in spite of all the neon and strobe lighting of the dance floor in front of them. It also carried a rather musky scent... somewhat reminiscent of Sienna's car. Another thing she noticed was the majority of the club's patrons were Faunus, from the dancers on the floor to the bartenders in the back. She could also see there was also an upper floor, but that was about it.

"Am I to assume you're a frequenter here? Winter attempted to ask over the volume of the music.

"You could say that." Sienna smirked.

Winter scoffed. "What are you VIP or something?"

"Close." Sienna answered, prompting Winter to raise a brow. "I own this club." She clarified, earning her a surprised look from the younger woman.

"I see, an... interesting line of work." Winter observed.

"Oh you have _no_ idea." Sienna chuckled. "Now, come. I have the _slightest_ feeling you're not into club dancing." She added before leading Winter around the dance floor to a staircase near the back of the main area, guarded by what seemed to be another bouncer. Notably smaller than the man stationed outside, she wore a similar black suit - presumably a dress code - and had a clipboard in her hand.

 _Must be the VIP area, or something like that._ Winter thought as she watched the bouncer check her clipboard before allowing a couple to enter the upstairs area.

As the bouncer spotted the pair, she offered a smile. "Good evening Miss Khan! Is this a new guest with you this evening?"

"Indeed it is Claudia." Sienna answered as she turned to smirk at Winter. "This is my date, Winter Schnee, and she will be joining me in the private lounge."

"Oh... very well." Claudia acknowledged, blinking in surprise. Her expression notably less cheerful as she jotted something down on her clipboard.. "Enjoy your evening Miss... Schnee."

"Thank you very much." Winter nodded politely as the bouncer stepped aside. Sienna wrapped her arm about her waist, supporting her as they climbed the stairs. Once they reached the top, Sienna opened the door in front of them and gestured for her to enter first. What greeted her on the other side was a rather fancy area. Black tile floor, various purple leather chairs surrounding glass coffee tables on one side of the area, a circular bar in the center, and several curtained-off rooms on the other side. Taking a closer look Winter was able to see a couple of them were open, each containing a large futon couch with assorted pillows. It made her wonder what sort of purpose those rooms served. Before she could think any more about it, Sienna led her around a corner to another area.

"Wow." Winter marveled.

"Welcome to _my_ private lounge." Sienna purred.

Certainly fitting for its name, it was an elevated rounded seating area in the corner of the room. The single couch stretched around the wall, surrounding an elegant glass table, a disco ball hanging above it... how tacky.

"Come." The older woman smiled, leading Winter up the stairs before finding a seat on the soft leather couch.

"Is there anywhere you would like me to sit?" Winter asked. Sienna just tapped her thighs, causing her to turn away to hide her blush... and her smile. There was part of Winter that wanted to take her up on the offer, but the rest of her was too dignified to sit on someone else's lap. Taking a quick breath, she shifted her gaze back to the other woman with a _hopefully_ neutral look on her face. "I'll pass." Winter stated as she sat down next to Sienna.

After ordering drinks - very hesitantly on Winter's part - Sienna turned to the younger woman. "So? How do you like my club darling?" She inquired, draping her arms around the top of the couch.

"It's... interesting to say the least..." Winter answered. "If I may, what are those rooms... _used_ for?" She asked, gesturing to the curtained-off areas.

"Many couples enjoy the extra level of privacy. Even here, there are those who can't escape wandering gazes." Sienna explained. "Plus, there are things that can be done in there that would be frowned upon out here." She smirked.

"Are you telling me people are having... _sex in there_?" Winter questioned, lowering her voice as she spoke.

"Potentially." Sienna shrugged, causing the younger woman to stiffen in her seat. "Or they could just be closed for cleaning."

"Do you not have _other_ more private places people can do that sort of thing?"

"Well we do have special rooms on both floors, but they are reserved for specific purposes." Sienna informed.

Winter was almost afraid to ask. "What... sort of purposes?"

"Mostly scheduled sessions, lessons, and playing." Sienna replied.

Winter raised a brow. " _Playing_?"

"It's essentially role play, involving the participants _playing_ their roles." Sienna described. "For instance, if you couldn't already tell, I am a domme, so if I were to _use_ that role in an intimate setting, it would be considered playing."

"If it's alright, how did you get into all of this?" The ivory-haired woman asked.

"Of course it's alright Winter." Sienna chuckled. "Years ago, back when Kali and I were still together we had decided to experiment, find new ways to spice up the bedroom. Of course we had already heard of BDSM and began delving into it, while intriguing on the surface it was deceptively complex in practice, so we searched for someone who could help us learn, and it just so happened there was a place in Menagerie that held classes. So we decided to give them a shot. We studied together, _practiced_ even more... it was one of the happiest times of my life." She sighed, offering a sad smile to the younger woman. "I'm sorry, talking about that time makes me nostalgic."

Winter blinked. Since the moment she met this woman, Sienna had been nothing but confident, but now... she could see _regret_ on her face. "I'm... sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any unpleasant memories..."

"It was hardly unpleasant. I mourn my mistakes Winter, and cherish everything else." Sienna insisted.

"Is that what motivated you to open a club like this?" Winter inquired.

"Well, after the years of social activism, I wanted something peaceful, a place where not only I could indulge in the fantasy, but anyone that desired to could." Sienna explained. "Call it a... _safe haven_ , somewhere where people can just be themselves, free from judgement.

"That is very commendable Sienna." Winter praised. "Even though BDSM isn't an interest of mine, this place is... incredible."

Before she could say anymore, movement drew Winter's attention to one of the nooks. The thick curtains that normally hid its occupants were partially pulled aside, long ebony legs backing out, followed by their owner, bare but for a slightly oversized button up. As the girl backed out entirely, a head of vibrant green hair was revealed, pale blonde attached to her lips briefly before they separated... Wait... green?

As the girl approached the bar to order drinks, Winter was able to catch a glimpse of her face, and her suspicion was confirmed. "Emerald?" She mumbled.

"Oh? Do you know her?" Sienna asked.

Winter nodded. "She's my boss' assistant." The curtains behind Emerald parted slightly, a woman's head peaking out to call to Emerald. Wait a second. Pale blonde hair... bright green eyes... "Oh my gods..."

"Hm?"

"That's my boss..." Winter managed as Emerald lightly padded over to Glynda, telling her something before meeting her in a loving kiss.

"Gorgeous aren't they?" Sienna coaxed.

"They..." Winter hesitated. "I didn't know."

"I imagine it must be rather... _surprising_ to learn your boss is dating her assistant." Sienna guessed.

"I just... how did it happen?" Winter questioned. "When Emerald came to work for her she was there as part of a rehab program..."

The older woman smiled. "As much as I would love to gush about them all night, it is not my place to say. As you could imagine, much like Kali and Ilia, they are fairly private in regards to their relationship. The world judges enough don't you agree?"

Winter sighed. "Entirely."

"But despite that, they have been good for one another." Sienna assured. "Poor Glynda was so stressed once upon a time, which was wonderful for the masochists in her care, but...it took quite the toll on her mentally."

Winter blinked. “Wait... masochists _in her care_?”

"Glynda is an instructor here, one of my first, and the most experienced by far." Sienna explained.

"An... _instructor_?" Winter asked.

"A teacher, and authority figure. She helps organize workshops and classes, among other things." Sienna informed.

"Are you saying my boss is a BDSM instructor here?" Winter questioned.

"I am saying your boss is a valued employee, who takes pleasure in seeing the world tremble before her." Sienna grinned teasingly.

Winter grimaced. "Well, that is an image I did not need in my head."

"You'll appreciate it later." The older woman smirked.

Winter quirked a brow. "Excuse me?"

"All bundled up in your sheets, alone, mind filled with all manner of lewd imagery-" Sienna started.

"I don't do that." Winter interjected.

"That does not seem healthy Winter." Sienna commented.

"It would dirty my sheets." The ivory-haired woman declared.

"The shower then?" Sienna wondered.

"I prefer short showers, it would waste water." Winter answered.

Sienna knit her eyebrows. "Winter... when was the last time you had an orgasm?"

Winter blinked. "Are... you serious?" The other woman nodded. "Then... whenever my last date was, a month or two ago."

"Oh dear gods Winter." Sienna sighed, reaching to pick up her glass, taking a long draw from it. "Okay, I'm setting you some homework."

Winter snorted. "Homework? What is this high school?"

"No, if it were high school we'd skip all this dating nonsense and jump right into bed." Sienna chuckled. "But we're adults, and you are a pent up one at that."

"Alright, then what exactly do you want me to do?" Winter inquired.

"I want you to pleasure yourself, once a night, until next we meet." Sienna answered.

Winter could feel her face begin to heat up. "But... I... there are others in my apartment..."

"Are you particularly loud?" Sienna wondered.

Winter averted her gaze to attempt to hide her still growing blush. "That is... none of your concern..."

"Winter... I understand you may be self conscious about this subject, but this is your sexual health we are discussing, I take this seriously. I take you seriously." The Faunus stressed.

"So you want me to pleasure myself in an apartment full of guests?" Winter questioned.

"I want you to tend to your needs in the privacy of your own bedroom, or the shower if you are so worried for your sheets." The Faunus specified.

Winter sighed. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Not so long as I care for you."

Winter blinked. "You... care for me?"

Sienna nodded. "I do Winter, I truly do."

The younger woman hesitated. Sienna... cared for her? No... no, it could not be that simple. There had to be something else. "If I may, what am I to you? Like Kali and Ilia, or Glynda and Emerald? Or is this just some... fetish driven fling, because I'm human, because I'm a _Schnee_?"

Sienna smiled, chuckling to herself, but regaled Winter with a genuine gaze. "I see you as a beautiful woman Winter, a beautiful woman who smiles far too little, but when you do smile, I wish I could paint a picture, and frame it for the world to see."

Winter blinked, Sienna had to supress a giggle at the look on her face, cheeks flaring, lips parted in a silent gasp.

It served only to make her even more stunning, the harsh lines that normally defined her face faded, the ever present scowl, fatigue and disdain for existence itself vanished, showing soft curves and gentle eyes, brilliant, blue, closing the distance, the harsh scent of lavender perfume filling Sienna's senses as their lips finally met. For the first time in years, Sienna found herself well and truly lost in the moment. Winter's lips were so soft, shaky, firm, and all too brief, the younger woman pulling away with a shaky exhale, and unfocused eyes.

She had kissed her, Winter had kissed _her_ , first, and without a nudge of pressure from Sienna herself. All she could do was smile vacantly, resisting an incredible urge to burst into cheer.

Meanwhile Winter was handling things... internally. Her entire body felt afire with a mixture of excitement, fear and shock, thrumming beneath her skin like unstable energy, leaving her shaking. She had to direct it somewhere, elsewhere, away from the beautiful creature beaming at her, lest she lose control again, stupid, brash, why did she do that? It was too soon! It was not even their second date, the first one did not count, it was just... okay it was their second date, no sense trying to discredit it. Sienna had been lovely and considerate, and she had kissed her, she had not kissed anyone in... she tried not to think about it, instead choosing to snatch up her glass and down the last of its contents, before cradling it in her lap, staring up at the disco ball hung above their table. Tacky, awful, tasteless, the perfect distraction.

"Are you alright?" Came Sienna's voice, uncharacteristically gentle.

Winter gave a small hum in acknowledgement, but did not look over, too risky, too beautiful, she needed to clear her mind. "I think I overstepped my own bounds." She mumbled.

"Why do you say that?" Sienna wondered.

Winter sighed. "This wasn't how I imagined this date going."

Sienna raised a brow. "Oh?"

"I wanted to be calm and collected, but... you can see how well that worked. Ever since our first date, you've been on my mind _constantly_ , and when you sent me those pictures earlier, they... _got to me_ , as much as I hate to admit it." Winter confessed. "I apologize if I went too far."

The older woman smiled. "Nonsense Winter. I'm actually relieved you made the first move, I don't think I would have been able to resist doing it for much longer."

Winter blinked. "You... wanted to kiss me?"

"Since the moment we met." Sienna purred.

Okay, that was it. Winter needed to get out of there before she did anything else crazy. _But don't make it sound urgent_. "Um, where's the restroom?"

Sienna looked a little disheartened. "Just go through the door that leads to the private rooms, second door on the right." Winter slowly raised from the couch to leave before she continued. "Though while you're in there, you may want to clean my lipstick off of you, wouldn't want your dear sister seeing that." She added with a smirk.

The Faunus could not help but laugh at how hard Winter blushed.

 

* * *

 

After arriving at Winter's apartment, Sienna bid her farewell. The older woman decided against ending the date with another kiss on the cheek, lest she get _more_ lipstick on Winter. So instead she settled on a simple hug.

A hug that Winter did not want to let go of.

Sienna was so warm... and she smelled so nice... like the incense from her car... and Winter could not even begin to describe how good her body felt against her own. Her arms around her waist, her soft hair, and not to mention her breasts... _Okay time to let go now Winter._ She told herself before releasing the other woman.

"Have a good night Winter." Sienna hummed. "Don't forget to take care of your _homework_." She ended with a wink.

Winter sighed. "I'll think about it. You have yourself a good night as well."

As she entered the apartment, Winter noticed how quiet it was. Odd. It was not that late, she thought she would hear at _least_ the television. Removing her shoes and limping further into the apartment, Winter noticed a single lamp on in the living area, Kali sitting in the arm chair beneath it, reading something on her scroll. Upon noticing her, the older woman put a finger up to her lips, gesturing to the sleeping form of Ilia on one of the couches before raising from the chair to meet Winter in the front hall.

"Are Weiss and Ruby sleeping as well?" Winter whispered.

Kali nodded. "How was the date?" She asked, keeping her voice quiet.

"It was... interesting to say the least." Winter answered. "She took me to her... _gentleladies_ club, I saw my boss with her assistant there... _I kissed Sienna_..." The look on Kali's face told her she should have omitted that last part.

" _You_ kissed Sienna?" Kali quietly gasped, to which the younger woman nodded. "Can't say that was something I expected, especially so soon."

"It was... an irrational act on my part." Winter admitted.

Kali raised a brow. "Why do you say that?

"We were talking, normally, things were going well and... then she said something that just... made me feel... overwhelmed and..." Winter sighed. "I've never done that before."

"Do you regret your actions?" Kali inquired.

"No! No of course not I just feel like I could have... have gone about it better." Winter mumbled.

"How would you have liked it to have gone?" Kali wondered.

Winter thought for a moment. "I... I suppose I would have like to be calmer, more composed, enough to express myself, how I felt, before asking to kiss her, instead of throwing myself at her like a... hormonal teenager."

Kali let out a soft chuckle. "I can tell you for a fact that kissing that woman never goes how you expect it to."

Winter quirked a brow. "Oh? Do elaborate."

"Well, during our first date, I had... made a plan for our first kiss, or at least I had given myself an expectation on how it was going to go, which as you could imagine, was a bad idea with Sienna." Kali explained. "I had this cute, perfect idea of cuddling on the couch, my head on her shoulder, I'd gaze into those lovely yellow eyes as she caressed my cheek, leaning down for our first kiss. Instead she ended up on top of me, and we made out for twenty minutes, with _heavy petting_. I'm honestly surprised we didn't have sex that night."

"Well, I can't say we made out, it was practically a peck." Winter commented.

"Oh really? And how long did this peck last?" Kali asked, a slight smirk on her face.

"Barely a couple seconds." Winter answered

"And yet it felt like an eternity hmm?"

Winter hesitated. "It did."

"Love is a blissful thing Winter." Kali smiled.

"It's not... love... just a... _minor attraction_..." Winter mumbled.

"Love is but a flower awaiting its bloom Winter, attraction is the sunlight." Kali hummed.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower now." The ivory-haired woman changed the subject. "Have a good night Kali."

"Goodnight Winter." Kali nodded before Winter slowly made her way down the hallway.

Once the bathroom door was closed, Winter sighed. Love... there was no way she could ever love Sienna... right? Sure she was _physically_ attracted to her... and _maybe_ a bit emotionally... but it was not _love_...

Shaking the thoughts away, Winter turned the shower on before slowly beginning to undress. Her button-up and bra were simple enough, but her bottoms were trickier... as usual. Eventually she was able to get them off, neatly folding her garments and placing them on the granite counter top. _Just a quick shower, nothing else._ Winter told herself before stepping into the glass box.

The moment Winter closed the shower door, everything felt... peaceful. The hot water cascaded down her back, over her shoulders, past her breasts and down the rest of her body.

Now that she thought of it, the shower was one of the few places she could well and truly relax, if only for a short while. Her aches and pains, her worries and fears all seemed to fade away in a pleasant fuzzy numbness. The alcohol had done well in its job, her leg had not notably flared that day, the sharp aches would never truly stop, walking would never feel natural again. But today at least the pain seemed to take a back seat. She had Sienna to thank for that. Even without the alcohol her presence... was soothing, if only in certain ways. The rest of her was... unsettled, in a positive way, mostly. She felt shame for her loss of control, but the act of kissing Sienna made for much more... vivid sensations. She had never initiated a kiss before, she had never kissed a woman before. She had never kissed a Faunus before.

Winter wanted more. And shuddered at the thought, Sienna was beautiful, alluring, enticing, and it scared her. Sienna made her feel like a different person, with different, deeper wants and needs, desires that she truly was not ready to handle, or at least believed as much. She gave Sienna a simple kiss. Her mind screamed at her to jump the woman, straddle her lap, press their bodies together and lose herself in the warmth, the wetness, the hands roaming her form, because Sienna would reciprocate, of course she would, she was infatuated with Winter, a simple kiss had left her speechless. After all the flirting, the gift and the touching words, it was impossible to deny the depths of Sienna's attraction.

And Winter wanted it. She wanted all of it. Like water to the parched, she craved this feeling, this sensation, this infantile form of love, she wanted to bathe and coat herself in its embrace until the world saw naught but its pigment, and Winter Schnee ceased to be the heartless Ice Queen Qrow so smugly referred to her as. She would show him the error of his ways... eventually... one step at a time... gods she needed to calm down. She wished Sienna were here, she wished she had the confidence to take that initiative, a kiss was one thing, asking Sienna over proper? It was simply too soon, too frightening, Sienna would make her do something foolish, lose control again, with her honeyed words and gorgeous yellow eyes, and chocolate coated lips... what she would not give to have those lips on hers once more... right now.

Winter shivered, bracing herself against the shower wall, the cold tiles doing little to quell the heat flaring within her. Sienna here, now would be... an experience... she wondered how it would look, her flawless brown skin against her own pale white, striped arms wrapping about her waist, tracing circles, teasing, that damnable smile at her ear, whispering eroticisms... but that was her imagination speaking.

All Winter had was her hand.

And so she made do.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a long chapter, important announcement time!
> 
> So, I've been writing Aftercare pretty much everyday since posting the first chapter, and as much as I want to keep writing it, I'm getting a little burned out. There are 2 other fics (both RWBY) that I want to do and am really excited to get to them, so for the next little while Aftercare will be on hiatus.
> 
> Now this next fic has been in the works for quite some time, and though it was the last one I thought of, we definitely have the most ideas for it and are the most excited to write. 
> 
> We call it One Last Chance, and as the name suggests, it's going to touch on some pretty heavy topics. So stay tuned for that, I'm hoping we can get the first chapter out within the next couple weeks, but don't quote me on that. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading, and as always, your feedback fuels us!


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